Necessary To Win: Paths Toward Victory
by Theralion
Summary: Prequel to Necessary to Win. Several teachers, mentors and tankery professionals of different backgrounds and ideologies share their formative experiences with each other. In the process, they learn about each other, and might just find answers to long-standing questions they have.
1. Prologue: Unanswered Questions

**Necessary to Win: Paths Toward Victory  
**

**Prologue: Unanswered Questions  
**

Shortly after the end of the school year, Japan held its biennial National Tankery Convention, drawing many who were interested in tankery, from enthusiasts to professional tankers, to coaches and teachers.

The event featured tanks on display, lectures, conferences, panel discussions, displays by various professional teams, and more. As it also featured discussions of current events in tankery, the events of the previous year's high school tankery tournament came up. The previous convention discussed Black Forest's first defeat in a decade, and naturally, the current one would discuss Oarai's victory after two decades away from the tournament.

Several of the attendees found themselves meeting old friends and old rivals, in hopes of understanding each others' different ideologies toward tankery and family, as well as the paths toward victory each one took.

* * *

In the Nishizumis' shared hotel room, Nishizumi Shiho, head of the Nishizumi School of Tankery, and her two daughters, Miho and Maho, prepared for the event. Shiho and Maho had come for their family school, while Miho had come for her own.

As Miho got dressed in a light blue skirt suit, she had mixed emotions. She had, over the course of the past year, started to love tankery again, so she hoped to be at the convention, albeit not because her mother had asked her to come. Yukari and some of her other friends from Oarai were coming, and she had hoped to go with them. She would be running a table for Oarai Academy, to provide interested people with information about the revived tankery team, but apart from those times, she would be with her mother and sister.

When her mother told her she was not representing the Nishizumi school, a part of her wondered if her mother was subtly distancing herself from her. But then she realized that she had not taken the step to disown her, and inferred that the worst had not happened. Perhaps her mother was starting to understand that she had a tankery style of her own, or at the very least, no longer saw Miho's deviations from the Nishizumi style as intolerable.

Shiho herself was also conflicted about the event, for reasons she did not let on to either of her daughters, much less anyone else. The head of the Nishizumi School had always attended the convention since its inception, and Shiho, who had accompanied her mother to those conventions since she was in middle school, was no exception; the Nishizumis had to do what they could to spread their teachings to those who were prepared to go as far as they could for their sake. And while this was not the first time that the Nishizumis had failed to win the high school tankery tournament, it was a rare occasion when they had not only lost twice in a row, but to one of the family. People would be asking them questions, and Shiho was no longer certain of how to answer them. The damage had been done, and scapegoating Miho was not an option, nor was casting her out of the family.

But the Nishizumis were not only about winning, but also about triumphing in unfavorable conditions. Whatever the cause of the previous two defeats for Black Forest was, Shiho was determined that the Nishizumi School would renew its winning streak and emerge stronger than ever.

* * *

Inside the hotel room, Atago Masae- head of the Atago family and school of tankery- as well as her daughters and niece, made their preparations- getting dressed, reviewing the schedules, and their notes for the convention.

Atago Hiroe, the eldest child and the girl who would lead the Atago School of Tankery in the future, stood in front of a mirror, adjusting the knot on her red necktie, which she wore along with a white dress shirt, navy blazer and skirt. From the first time she wore a necktie, as an assistant at her mother's school, she had always regarded dressing up as somewhat symbolic of being on her best behavior, something that was difficult for an outspoken and blunt individual like her.

Over the years, doing so had gotten easier in many ways, just as Hiroe had gotten to the point at which she could tie her tie herself, and had actually started to like the way she looked while wearing a suit and tie. While Hiroe was not especially fond of formal speech, she could easily show her mother the respect accorded to the head of the Atago School of Tankery while helping her teach her classes.

But Hiroe regarded keeping her opinions to herself as a bit like holding her breath- doing so was sometimes necessary to survive, but doing so for too long was fatal, in a sense. She had a great deal of respect for Maho's ability to be the perfect Nishizumi heiress for her sister's sake, and complete and utter loathing for Maho's mother for, among other things, the expectations she placed on her daughters.

"How do I look?" Hiroe said, as she stepped closer to her mother, her sister and her cousin, whose outfits seemed to match hers.

"Quite nice, Onee-chan," Kinue said.

"Thanks, Kinue," Hiroe said. "Have a good time managing the Pravda table; I'll be handling the Atago school table, as always."

Hiroe then turned to Hiroko.

"So you packed a suit, too, Hiroko?" Hiroe said to her cousin. "You don't have anything you have to do here, so I'm sure people wouldn't mind if you didn't dress up."

"Still, it feels only right to take this as seriously as the rest of us do," Hiroko said. "Thank you for bringing me along, Aunt Masae, as well as for making the offer to my parents."

While Masae's husband had work to do, her sister believed it was too long since she had been actively involved in tankery, and her brother-in-law was never interested, they thanked her for the offer. Masae had once said that her sister was one person she had in mind when she designed her school's curriculum, and she was glad that her husband and brother-in-law were supportive of her in her tankery-related endeavors.

"You're welcome, Hiroko," Masae said. "I'm certainly glad to bring family along."

"Yeah," Hiroe said. "Incidentally, I could see Aunt Masaki signing up for our adult training program. And Hiroko's aunt- not you, Mom- might be able to learn tankery for the first time."

"That's true, Hiroe," Masae said. "But several professional tankers also expressed interest in the program, which is why I established the Refresher Course as well as the Beginner Course. I, too, have much to learn, which is why I come to the convention time and time again."

Hiroe nodded, but realized that was not the only thing her mother wanted to learn.

Current events affected Masae differently than Shiho, but they were still on her mind. To Masae, there was nothing shameful about her daughters' and niece's loss in the semifinals, even if they had been disappointed. But in the aftermath of the battle, Masae's eldest daughter, Hiroe, saw a different side of Maho, one that Masae saw in more detail when she met with Maho in the semifinals. Maho and Hiroe had started a correspondence after the finals, becoming friends, as well as rivals. Miho and Kinue had also become friends, learning that they had much in common.

Having learned so much about a person she thought she had known all about over the previous half decade, Masae had to question how well she knew Miho's mother. As Masae had learned that there was more to Maho than met the eye, might the same be true for her mother? If Masae pitied Maho and Miho for being raised under Shiho's thumb, might Shiho have, at least at one point, been deserving of the same pity? And what would happen to Shiho's ideology after the events of the tournament?

* * *

On the convention center's main builidng, some reporters greeted the Atago family, who prepared to field the standard questions.

"Atago Hiroe-san!" one reporter called out. "Comments on your match in the semifinals?"

"My team and I did our best," Hiroe said. "It, as my mother would say, is a learning experience, and I hope to learn from my mistakes and improve my skills further in tankery."

The Atagos fielded a few questions, before eventually getting inside the building and out of earshot.

"Nicely done, Hiroe," Masae said as they got away from the reporters.

"Thanks, Mom; you too," Hiroe said.

"Although I do have to say that it's not entirely Hiroe's normal mode of interacting with others," Hiroko said.

Hiroe reluctantly nodded; for her, curbing her sharp tongue in the presence of the press did not come naturally, but she was gradually improving through practice and experience.

"Not any more than I usually wear a suit," Hiroe said, "although I'm gradually getting used to doing so."

"So did I, when I was not much older than you are now," Masae said. "The world and tankery have changed over the years, so we'll have to stay abreast of those changes."

Masae wondered where Hiroe would take the Atago School in the years to come, but was confident that whatever choices she made, they would be for the best.

* * *

Around the same time, the Nishizumi family made their way through the reporters to the convention center.

Several of the reporters called out to Miho, asking for comment on her team's victory. Miho shyly gave relatively standard answers, pointing out that she was glad to help her school, and that her friends deserved a large part of the credit.

Miho had expected all the questions, but let off a sigh of relief as she got inside, glad to be away from the attention. There were many reasons she did tankery, but fame was not one of them.

Maho knew that Miho dd not have much experience dealing with the press, nor did she want to become famous, but could not help but smile as Miho was given attention for something she had accomplished on her own, and that Miho could step out of her shadow. Miho would have to learn to deal with the public eye, but Maho concluded that if her sister had the determination to become a good commander in spite of her initial reluctance to lead, she would also be able to adjust to speaking to reporters.

Miho felt similarly. While nervous about the exposure, she realized that they were talking about her, as an individual, not as a daughter of the head of the Nishizumi School or her commander's younger sister. She knew that she could not have accomplished what she did on her own, but was glad to have succeeded independently from, and on standards other than those of, her family's school.

Shiho seethed with embarrassment as the press congratulated Miho for defeating her sister. Miho had not only gone against the Nishizumi style, but was serving as proof that it was no longer infallible. Shiho had foreseen this response from the public, but nevertheless found it infuriating to hear.

But in her calmer moments, Shiho could not help but feel a small amount of joy when one reporter, as ignorant of the Nishizumis' inner dealings as most who did not know a member of the family personally were, congratulated her for being the mother of the two commanders who made it to the finals, and that each of her daughters had triumphed. Hearing that reminded her of the way she felt after Miho's victory, when her preoccupation with the Nishizumi School faded from her mind for the moment.

* * *

During lunch on the first day of the convention, Shiho and Masae had business during lunch, leaving their daughters to eat by themselves…or, as a result of a chance meeting, with each other.

At lunch, the Nishizumi and Atago sisters met each other in the dining hall, as they carried trays of food and were looking for somewhere to sit.

"Hey, Maho, Miho," Hiroe said.

"Hello, Hiroe, Kinue, Hiroko" Maho said together.

The meeting was surprisingly amicable for the meeting of the heiresses of two opposing schools of tankery. Since the end of the tournament, Maho and Hiroe had become close friends while talking on the phone, and occasionally meeting in person, as Maho respected Hiroe's honesty, Hiroe respected Maho's devotion to her younger sister, and both respected the other's skill at tankery. Miho and Kinue had also become similarly close in the months after the tournament, especially when Miho shared her experiences as commander, enabling Kinue to accept her appointment as the new commander of Pravda's tankery team.

"It's good to see you made it here," Kinue said.

Hiroko looked around.

"Where's your mother?" Hiroko said.

"She's having a meeting over lunch," Maho said. "And Instructor Atago?"

"The same," Hiroko said, "although I don't think it's the same one."

Shiho and Masae had different orders of business.

Shiho was desperate to control the damage caused by her family's recent defeats in tankery, as well as Miho deviating from the family's style. It was becoming more and more difficult to preserve the status quo, but Shiho was not prepared to see tankery change just yet.

Masae, on the other hand, was discussing the launch of a new Atago school program that introduced tankery courses for adults- there was one for older students who wanted to learn tankery, and another for those who wanted to brush up on their skills. She believed that even if tankery had declined in popularity, there were those out there who wanted to get involved but didn't know how, and hoped that if tankery became more inclusive, it would experience a renaissance.

"Why don't you join us for lunch, Miho-chan, Maho-san?" Kinue said. "There's a table over there."

"Sure," Miho said, and the five girls sat down to eat.

Hiroe looked Maho over, noticing the black pantsuit and white dress shirt Maho was wearing, similar to Shiho's outfit.

"That's a pretty nice suit, Maho, but did it have to be in black?" Hiroe said. "We're not attending a funeral, you know."

"I've always liked black as a solid and appropriately conservative color," Maho said. "Many of Mother's suits are are of the same color and style."

Hiroe chuckled.

"I'd call you out on following your mother's example, but I have to admit, I've done the same," Hiroe said. "Mom often wears blue, too, and this kind of suit."

"Well, you look nice too, Hiroe," Maho said. "But I don't think emulating your mother is all there is to it; you seem significantly more open with your opinions and informal than she is."

"Yeah," Hiroe said. "I have to admit that while I'm less… traditional than your family, I have to keep in mind what others are doing. They didn't give specific requirements for the presenters, but most of the others who came representing their schools or their teams are dressing in business attire or dress uniforms, so here I am, in a suit and tie."

"Yes, I'm aware," Maho said. "The truth is that no matter who you are or what you do, you'll have to take into account the expectations of others to some degree or another while making various decisions, and go with the flow at times. The only thing you can do is to avoid becoming completely controlled by them or letting them change who you are."

"It's pretty much impossible to not be influenced by your circumstances in some way or another," Hiroe said. "Some people think I got into tankery because of my mom being a tankery teacher, and my response to that is that it's not _entirely_ true. The truth is, I looked up to my mom, and because I did, I chose to get involved."

"And, much in the same way, I got involved in tankery because of my sister," Kinue said, before turning to Miho, who sat across from her and had been relatively quiet for much of the meal. "Did you ever feel the same way too, Miho-chan?"

"I did," Miho said, "until I realized my sister was going down the path she did so that I would not have to."

Maho nodded to concur.

"Of course, I do have to wonder how Miho would have fared in a family that practiced a less ruthless style of tankery," Maho said. "Maybe she would not have been driven to quit tankery. But maybe she would not have been inspired to find her own way."

"That's possible," Kinue said. "Whenever I'm in doubt, I tend to think of what my sister would do."

As Hiroe pondered the choices the two younger sisters of the group had made, she recalled the choice her mother had made long ago, as well as the reason Masae had asked her to seek out the Nishizumi sisters.

"Oh, and…" Hiroe said, "I almost forgot; I have a message from Mom. She'd like to meet the two of you and your mom for dinner. She has some questions about the Nishizumi School, specifically what influenced your mother into the person she is today."

Hiroe's relaying the message sounded forced, like the times when she had to censor herself and something tactfully. But Maho understood what Hiroe was trying to say, and nodded.

"Certainly," Maho said. "I will pass the message along to my mother."

"Thanks," Hiroe said. "Call me to let me know how it goes."

The Nishizumi sisters parted from the Atago sisters and Hiroko, preparing to deliver their message to their mother. While they knew it was possible that Shiho would agree to this request, if she did, the dinner between the families would be a far cry from the friendly lunch between the five teenage girls.

* * *

"I see," Shiho said, as Maho and Miho met up with her at the Nishizumi School's booth in the afternoon, passing along the message to her. "Although I'm not sure why Instructor Atago would be interested in speaking with me now, I will meet with her this evening."

"Why are you unsure about her, Mother?" Maho said.

"I had assumed she had made up her mind about me years ago," Shiho said, "and that we had effectively agreed to disagree, in a sense. I'm curious as to how that changed. But more than that, I'm curious as to what justifications she has for her own style of tankery. In any case, let her know that I'm willing to come, but that she should not mince her words or expect me to do the same."

"Yes, Mother," Maho said, taking out her cell phone and dialing Hiroe's number.

"Atago Hiroe speaking," Hiroe said.

"Hiroe, this is Maho," Maho said. "Is your mother around?"

Hiroe then handed the phone to her mother.

"It's me," Masae said. "Maho, did your mother get my message?"

"Yes, Instructor Atago, and she's willing to come," Maho said.

"Good," Masae said, before beginning to make the arrangements to meet, and steeling herself for what would likely be a difficult confrontation with Shiho.

"Mom?" Hiroe said, turning to her mother. "Are you sure about this? I can understand that you've misjudged Maho, but I doubt her mom's going to have a heart of gold hidden under there."

"Perhaps not, Hiroe," Masae said. "Still, while I created my school to avoid many of the Nishizumi School's shortcomings, I also have to question how much I really know about it, and how much Instructor Nishizumi knows about me."

"Instructor Nishizumi does seem to be interested in finding out, so perhaps the answer would be less than you expected, Aunt Masae," Hiroko said.

"I do have one thing I would expect from you, tonight," Masae said. "While Instructor Nishizumi can be difficult to get along with in the best of times, and tends to see even minor questions as slights against her school, please try to show her respect, even if she does not show us the same."

Hiroe sighed, knowing that the comment was directed at her.

"I'll do what I can, Mom, but apart from that, I can't make any promises," Hiroe said.

"It's not exactly easy for Aunt Masae, Kinue or I either, Hiroe," Hiroko said.

Masae nodded.

"There was a time, long ago, when I told my life story and my personal philosophy to those who had nothing but contempt for me, and also listened to them justify actions that I found unacceptable," Masae said. "I'm prepared to do so again tonight."

* * *

That evening, the Atago and Nishizumi families met for dinner, at a local restaurant. While not the most formal establishment, the two families were glad that they were dressed as they were.

"Good evening, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said, upon seeing Shiho, "and thank you for agreeing to eat with us."

"It's not a problem," Shiho said.

Masae spoke in a highly formal tone; the few times she and Shiho had spoken after Masae had left Black Forest were done with acknowledgment of each other as colleagues. In spite of Masae's disliking many of Shiho's beliefs and decisions, and Shiho's general indifference toward Masae, they believed they owed each other a certain level of professional courtesy.

Masae then turned to Miho.

"Nishizumi Miho?" Masae said. "It's an honor to finally meet you. My name is Atago Masae, instructor of the Atago school of tankery."

"It's nice to meet you too, Instructor Atago," Miho said, bowing. "But, if I may ask, where did you hear about me?"

"My daughters and my niece told me about you," Masae said. "And after last year's tournament, when you saved the lives of the girls in those tank, and this year's tournament, when you defeated Black Forest, everyone related to Japanese high school tankery knows your name."

The seven were seated at a table, with the Nishizumis on one side and the Atagos on the other.

While waiting for the waiter to return and ask them for their drink orders, Shiho decided to get down to business.

"So, Instructor Atago, I understand you wished to speak with me, did you not?" Shiho said.

"That is correct, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "In the two decades since we parted ways, I had thought that I knew all there was to know about you, or at least, all that I would likely be able to know. But certain events in the past year have left me not as sure in that belief as before."

"Are you asking about our consecutive failures to win the tournament?" Shiho said. "It's true that this is unusual, but I'm not sure what this changes."

A part of Hiroe chafed at Shiho's statement. As always, she found the Nishizumis overly obsessed with victory. But she also did not like the implication that Maho, her friend as well as her rival in tankery, was falling short of her standards. Maho's results were comparable to Hiroe's own- less than what she'd hoped for, but a good achievement by most people's standards.

"Well, for starters, you're going to need a new scapegoat this time now that Miho was on the winning side," Hiroe said. "With all the choices available, it'll probably be easier than admitting that maybe, just maybe, winning isn't everything, or that your school isn't the only way to win."

Shiho's expression did not change. The rest of the table turned uncomfortable, having difficulty contesting Hiroe's assertion but disliking her blunt tone in doing so.

"Hiroe, that was uncalled for," Masae said calmly yet sternly. "I apologize on Hiroe's behalf, Instructor Nishizumi."

"...sorry," Hiroe said.

Shiho's expression did not change, nor did she give any indication of accepting, refusing or even noticing Hiroe's forced apology.

"Do you disagree with your daughter, Instructor Atago?" Shiho said dispassionately. "I remember several passages in your book, specifically Chapter 4, near the bottom of Page 68 in the hardcover edition, in which you disparagingly refer to those who place victory above all else in tankery, even if you never referred to the Nishizumi school by name."

Masae was briefly left at a loss for words, having hoped Shiho would not see through her so easily.

"Aunt Masae is trying to keep things civil here, Instructor Nishizumi," Hiroko said. "I would appreciate it if you respected that desire."

"I understand that much," Shiho said. "But I also believe in the importance of honest communication, and your cousin said what was on her mind. So, Instructor Atago, please answer my question."

Masae sighed.

"I…I must admit that Hiroe did, in fact, say what was on my mind, only more bluntly than I would have put it," Masae said. "The passage was more specific to the Nishizumi School in the first draft, but my editor asked me to revise it. Of course, regardless of the wording, you have always known what my opinion is on the subject, have you not, Instructor Nishizumi?"

"Yes, I did," Shiho said. "It was always clear that you found us overly obsessed with victory, and were loath to make some of the difficult decisions that were necessary to win."

Masae bit her lip. While she had come to understand Shiho better, she realized it would all be in vain if Shiho continued invoking the Nishizumi school's doctrine whenever she was challenged. The only way she knew how to respond was to meet Shiho's rationalizations with the hard truth of what was on her mind.

"Do you want to hear about a 'difficult decision,' Instructor Nishizumi?" Masae said. Shiho did not respond, as she knew it was a rhetorical question. "My husband was given an ultimatum by his family while we were dating- break up with me or be disowned. He chose the latter, seeing parting ways with me as too high a price to pay to stay in the family, but he should not have had to pay that price- nor should Miho have had to adhere to your style of tankery to remain in your family."

"Who told you about this, Instructor Atago?" Shiho said.

Masae hesitated for a moment, long enough for Maho to react.

"I did, Mother," Maho said. "I encountered Instructor Atago during Miho's match with Saunders, and told her at that time."

Masae nodded, but decided to expand on Maho's answer, both to make a point and minimize the chance of Maho getting in trouble with her mother.

"Maho did not seek me out when she heard of Miho being threatened with disinheritance, nor did I seek her out," Masae said. "Chance brought us together as we watched the semifinals match, but a chance encounter was all she wanted to talk to _someone_ about what she was going through, fearing that she would never see her sister again."

"Onee-chan..." Miho said, touched by how far Maho was going, and worried that Maho was risking herself by doing so.

"My opposition to threatening Miho with being disowned should she lose goes beyond tankery ideology," Masae said. "As a sister, I cannot condone separating Miho and Maho that way. As a mother, I would not even consider casting out my children over something like tankery. And as the wife of a man who was cast out of his own family, I know what it means for a child to be disowned. And I know the truly difficult choices are. My husband made a difficult decision when he chose the woman he loved over his parents, whom he loved as well. Maho made a difficult decision when she committed herself to become Nishizumi heiress so her sister could live freely. Miho made a difficult decision when she saved a tank, knowing that she would bear the blame of her team being defeated. Disowning one's child over a personal disagreement is _not_ a difficult decision- how dare you try to characterize it as such!"

An awkward silence followed.

Hiroko and Kinue solemnly nodded in agreement. Maho, despite seeming conflicted, did not say anything against it. A surprisingly grim look of agreement crossed Hiroe's face.

Shiho remained silent, having expected Masae's outburst. There were many who disapproved of her methods. But if Masae seemed so convinced, why did she even decide to speak with her in the first place?

Masae then broke the silence.

"I'm terribly sorry... Hiroe," Masae said. "In hindsight, my scolding you must have seemed quite self-righteous and hypocritical after this tirade."

Hiroe remained speechless, but silently shook her head.

"No need to apologize to me, Mom," Hiroe said. "You said it a lot better than I ever could have."

"B-but…" Miho said, but then trailed off.

"Do you disagree with Mom, Miho?" Hiroe said, not wanting to believe that Miho could possibly be defending Shiho.

"I…" Miho began, unable to articulate a was unable to accept what Masae had just said, but unable to formulate a counter-argument. Even beginning to do so would require, as a starting point, declaring that what Masae said was wrong. Miho knew enough about her mother to know that she could not disprove what Masae had said, even if she could not accept that was the entire story.

"I don't think it's that simple, Hiroe," Maho said. "Miho is well aware of what kind of person Mother is, and what she expects of her. But while Miho cannot agree with Mother on matters related to tankery, and was not happy to hear about how far Mother would go to keep her in line, she wanted to avoid being disowned, because Mother is her family, even if there are lengths that she would not go to avoid that. I believe I told your mother as much. Is that correct, Miho?"

"It is, Onee-chan," Miho said. "I'm not sure if this seems foolish to Instructor Atago or Hiroe-san, but this is how I feel about _my mother._"

"Nah, I get where you're coming from, Miho," Hiroe said.

"No, Miho, I understand how you feel and sympathize," Masae said, more calmly. Masae then turned to Shiho. "But surely you understand, do you not, Instructor Nishizumi? That it is not a matter of Miho not valuing victory, or disregarding your threat to disown her, but valuing some things so much more?"

"Perhaps," Shiho said. "My methods may seem harsh to someone like you, who takes an outsider's perspective. Most would simply denounce me as a cold-hearted villain after seeing this much; I've heard much worse things said about me than what you and your elder daughter have said. But while what you said represents your true feelings, I have to wonder- why are you staying around after seeing this much of me already? After finding so much about me loathsome, what is your reason for wanting to learn more?"

Masae nodded reluctantly, as she was starting to understand where Shiho was coming from.

"I must admit that you are correct, and that's the point," Masae said, "I _don't_ know what it's like to grow up in a family like the Nishizumis. While the way you have treated your daughters arouses my anger, I recalled that I once felt pity for them, and have to wonder- is it possible that you grew up the same way? What influences shaped you to become so ruthless and traditionalist? How could you seriously consider measures that would seem so unthinkable to most people?"

"Perhaps it may be time for you to find out," Shiho said. "But at the same time, I would like to hear more about you- the upbringing you've had that causes you to view the one I have received and the one I give to my daughters as unacceptable, and the experiences in tankery that caused you to found a different school from mine."

"I was hoping you would say that," Masae said appreciatively. "And I, too, will tell my story."

Shiho nodded. Her story would be a long one, and Masae would find many things about it unacceptable. But through this process, she would help Masae understand the mindset of someone ruthlessly dedicated to victory, and perhaps come to understand the mindsets of those she had dismissed as less committed.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This is in a prequel of sorts to Necessary to Win, as it delves into the pasts of Shiho, Masae, Harue, Ami, Takako and Kikuyo, along with a few others that they meet over the years. It will be somewhat shorter than Necessary To Win, but will most likely be more than 100,000 words long by the end.

It will go into detail about Shiho, attempting to portray her in a more realistic light than many other fanfics. The fact that Shiho is arrogant, obsessed with success, and ruthless as a leader, teacher and mother will not be glossed over, but the factors that made her into who she is, and that motivate her will be addressed.

The character listing may not make it clear, but in this fic, Shiho is the main protagonist for the first and third Acts. The second Act will focus on ten years ago, when Harue and Ami went through the tournament and faced each other in the finals

The story works similarly to the Interludes, although the flashbacks will be in more limited third person point of view compared to the Interludes, and you won't see much of a character's thoughts unless they're a POV character. They're also limited by a character's memory, so expect the Unreliable Narrator to be in effect to an extent here.

The present day segments are meant to show the flow between scenes that are separated by months, if not years, and to show the reactions of characters in the present day; the storytellers may debate more than in previous Interludes. Several of the storytellers and listeners have recently changed dramatically, while others stand at a crossroads of sorts, and they often will draw insights from hearing the stories that will influence their future actions.

Incidentally, the story at present takes place in about the year 2015, if you're interested in the date, meaning that Shiho and Masae were born in 1975, the earliest flashbacks are in 1983, and so on and so forth.

There will also be some Character Analysis segments, giving insight to some characters from an author perspective, as well as shedding light on some of their motives and interpretation.

**Character Analysis: Shiho**

Canonically, Shiho has relatively little screentime for someone who has as great of an impact on Miho's life as she does- I count 10 lines of dialogue in the entire anime series, and not much more in Little Army, when she only appears in person for two out of eight chapters. It's typically not questioned that she is quite cold and harsh to Miho, but why she is, and to what extent is subject to interpretation.

Here, we will see some of the influences that shaped Shiho, including her upbringing and tankery training. They are, in some ways, similar to what her daughters went through- the latter is her attempt to recreate her childhood- but her daughters experienced many things she did not, and she experienced some of what they did not, with those differences being key to shaping them as the people they are.

While this fic will humanize Shiho to an extent, it will not shy away from showing Shiho's more ruthless side. Shiho is still fundamentally flawed, as her decisions are often influenced by arrogance, and she has a tendency to judge people by how much they can further her goals. Expect to see Shiho to make more than a few harsh and possibly morally questionable decisions, without feeling any regret. On the other hand, Shiho is not deliberately malicious, and does believe that her methods are for the good of those who are subject to them. Perhaps said good also aligns with that of her school and her ideology, but Shiho does not expect her subordinates and children to agree with her, merely to do as she says. She thinks they, by following her orders, will benefit as well.

Of course, Shiho is no stranger to criticism of various sorts, and knows that there are many people who disagree with her methods of tankery or raising a faimily. As such, while she doesn't take this criticism to heart, she doesn't take it personally, either. But this is a rare opportunity for her to hear one of her opponents explain her position, so she's willing to take advantage of it.


	2. Shiho 1: Uncommon Dedication

**ACT I**

**Shiho 1: Uncommon Dedication  
**

_Present day_

As Shiho and Masae sat across the table from each other, they prepared to share their separate stories, and considered where to begin.

Through an unspoken agreement, Shiho decided to go first. It was Masae who had first made the request, and Masae was more likely to be the one who knew less about the other.

"Before I begin, I have a question, to which I believe I already know the answer," Shiho said. "Instructor Atago, did your parents have a set goal or career in mind for you when they raised you and your sister?"

"No, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "I'm sure you know that I founded the Atago School of Tankery. My family was very supportive of me, but this was not their ultimate plan for me. They only hoped I would find a good job that I was skilled at and happy with, that _if_ I chose to marry, I would marry a good man whom I loved and could trust to raise any children we had well, and that I would also do a good job of raising any grandchildren they had."

"I see," Shiho said. "My mother gave birth to me with a purpose in mind- that I would one day succeed her as head of the Nishizumi School. That was my life's purpose, the main focus of my training, and was my ultimate goal. If I could not accomplish that, I would be of no use to the family. And if I failed, no one would step up to replace me."

"Were you an only child, Instructor Nishizumi?" Hiroko said. "I would think that your mother would have multiple children to serve as multiple candidates for her successor."

"I was," Shiho said. "My father died when I was a young girl, and Mother, who was older than most women when she married, soon reached the point at which she could not have more children. So I was essentially the only possible heiress for the family."

Masae glanced at Miho and Maho, hoping for some cue as to how to react to this, but found nothing. Shiho had never truly known her father, and was not the type who would appreciate empty displays of sympathy.

"My training in tankery began at a very young age," Shiho said, "long before I could reasonably pilot a tank, even by our standards. But there were things I could do to prepare myself, and my mother was unwilling to simply let me remain idle."

Hiroko shook her head. Hiroko was relatively new to tankery, getting involved in middle school, but found that while her cousin Hiroe had willingly spent years preparing for it, when she herself studied and got practical experience, she quickly got almost on par with Hiroe.

"It hardly seems like studying so much at such a young age would do much good, at least compared to getting practical experience once you are ready," Hiroko said. "In fact, it might just end up turning the child off of tankery."

"There was plenty of opportunity for me to get practical experience later," Shiho said. "As for liking it, my parents hoped I would, but believed that was ultimately irrelevant, much like getting children to eat their vegetables. I would even say that a large part of parenting is getting children to do things that they don't like but are good for them."

Masae nodded. Perhaps she and Shiho had different interpretations of that principle, but she could not deny that she had to follow that while raising her daughters.

"So what was it like for you back then, Instructor Nishizumi?" Kinue said, realizing that Shiho's process of learning tankery was most likely different from hers, and even the practice her sister had put in.

"It was a difficult, but necessary and beneficial process," Shiho said. "We do not have the time and I do not have the memory to share every detail, but I will share the general process, as well as certain pivotal and memorable moments."

"Fair enough," Masae said. "I will do the same when discussing my own situation."

"I would start at the beginning," Shiho said, "but I'm not entirely sure when, where or how everything began. Even in my first memories of learning tankery, I had 'always' known I was expected to excel in tankery."

* * *

_32 years ago_

Shiho, at the age of eight, sat in her room in the Nishizumi house, reading over books about tankery. She had completed her homework for the day, but her studies would likely continue until she went to bed.

While the Nishizumi family house, a large and traditional home, was fairly luxurious, Shiho's room was relatively spartan and had few personal touches. She found it easy to stay on task, with little else to do than study tankery.

Her mother had strict expectations for her in school, and while Shiho had a great deal of work for her tankery studies, she was also expected to excel in academics, which were seen as just as important for the development of a good Nishizumi heiress.

As such, Shiho was not entirely sure how to spend her free time, and when she had time available, she would continue to study about tankery. It seemed to be the only responsible thing to do as a future heiress; her mother had stressed that she should do everything possible to prepare herself for her future duties. But more than anything, it seemed to be the only thing that came naturally to her.

Shiho had to wonder- did all parents drill their children in such a way? It seemed unlikely to Shiho that any of her peers had a purpose comparable to hers. A part of Shiho pitied them for not knowing where life would take them when they became adults, but another part had to wonder- was it possible that they could find out for themselves? And what would she do if she had the choice, even if her life had so far guided her in one direction?

Shiho put the thought out of her mind, finding it to be too unsettling to consider, and believing that it was a waste of time to think of the paths that were off limits to her. She told herself that she had her goal, and it was not her place to ask for more.

* * *

_Present day_

"I always knew what to do in order to please my parents," Shiho said. "In the end, it was only a question of applying myself enough to meet their expectations, and to become the tanker they wanted me to be; obedience is something to which parents are entitled from their children. Perhaps it was difficult to meet my parents' expectations, but there was nothing unfeasible, unclear or unreasonable about them."

"I see," Masae said. "It seems somewhat clear that you were forced from a young age to learn tankery with surprising devotion. But what I don't yet understand is you merely accepting it uncritically from a young age, even considering how much children are influenced by their parents. Neither of my daughters, nor my niece were interested in tankery from the start."

As Shiho looked on calmly, preparing to give her answer, Hiroe nodded.

"Yeah," Hiroe said. "Isn't childhood about trying new things until you find something that interests you and you're good at? Some take longer than others to find it, like Kinue, but it's not always a bad thing."

Kinue nodded in agreement.

"I may have given up soccer for tankery, and may have not pursued it with the same fervor as some of my peers, but I don't see it as a waste of time," Kinue said. "I had a lot of fun. I made friends through it, some of whom followed me to Pravda. And I learned the value of good sportsmanship and working as a team, values that are important to tankery."

Shiho passively listened to Kinue, seeing her as little more than the commander of the defeated flag tank. If she was truly devoted to her sister, she should have fought alongside her from the beginning. And her devotion meant little if she did not have the talent to achieve results through it.

But one thing stuck out in Shiho's mind.

"Soccer?" Shiho said. "That sounds familiar. A few of my classmates took an interest in that as well. But by that time, I was already firmly on the path toward becoming a Nishizumi heiress, and as such, rejected them along with all other distractions."

* * *

_32 years ago_

As class ended for the day Shiho, wearing the blue sailor fuku with a red neckerchief that was the school's uniform, packed up her belongings after class. Her school was a private all-girls school some distance from the one where Miho and Maho attended years later; by the time Shiho had children of her own, her alma mater had closed down.

Some of Shiho's classmates were milling around the classmates, talking with each other, but Shiho saw no need to do this. Her mother expected her home promptly after school, and she had a tight schedule, so she believed she had no time to waste.

"Nishizumi-san," one of her classmates said, while approaching her with a taller girl who had short hair, "some friends and I are going to play a game of soccer this afternoon. Would you like to come?"

Shiho pondered the question for a moment. She had heard of soccer before, however much her classmates thought she lived under a rock, and understood how to play it. What she did not understand, however, was why her classmates would take part in it. They clearly were not taking it seriously enough to even have a chance of becoming professionals, so what point was there in doing it halfheartedly?

"I'm sorry," Shiho said. "My mother wants me to return home as soon as possible so I can study tankery."

The girl nodded to accept Shiho's answer, albeit disappointed to be turned down.

"See? I told you Nishizumi wouldn't accept," the taller girl whispered into the first girl's ear, albeit just loudly enough to be audible to Shiho. "She's stuck up and sees all of us as inferior. She's obsessed with that stupid tankery her family teaches, and thinks soccer- and those of us who play it- are beneath her."

The first girl fixed the second one with a disapproving glare, but said nothing in response. Shiho briefly considered asking why, but believed she would not get a fully honest answer.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Nishizumi-san," the first girl said. "My offer is still open, though."

As Shiho said goodbye to the two girls, she was uncertain how she had gotten such a reputation around school; it was a harsh but not entirely inaccurate representation of her thoughts, but if they did not know what she was thinking, how did they reach this conclusion? Was it because of Shiho's habit of refusing to socialize with others? Was it because of the Nishizumi family's reputation? Was it because they hated tankery?

In any case, Shiho concluded that people like those two girls would not be worth her time if they regarded her family's trade in such a way, showing how little they had in common. Shiho regarded tankery and her parent's style as important parts of her identity, and believed that she would find it nearly impossible to get along with those who could not accept both of them.

But two disquieting thoughts went through Shiho's mind. Who _would_ be worth her time? And just why was she trying so hard?

* * *

Shiho returned home to the Nishizumi household, which, not unlike the Nishizumi style, largely did not change in the decades between Shiho's childhood and her daughters'.

"Welcome home, Shiho-sama," Fumi, a maid for the Nishizumi household said. "How was school today?"

"It went well, thank you," Shiho said. Shiho, knowing that the maids were discouraged from fraternizing with her, saw the question for what it was- a simple gesture of politeness- and had responded in kind.

"Very good," Fumi said. "The mistress is expecting you in the living room."

Fumi bowed and showed Shiho to the living room.

Fumi, like the rest of the maids, was largely not to speak to Shiho unless spoken to, or show Shiho anything less than the utmost respect- although since Shiho was not yet head of the family, Fumi was to call her by her name and "-sama", rather than "Mistress." Shiho suspected that Fumi, despite seeing her every day, did not know much about her apart from her being her mistress' daughter, her approximate age, and her studying to succeed her mother's headship of the tankery school; Shiho did not know anything about Fumi apart from her occupation and. the fact that she was apparently once one of her mother's students, something her mother had mentioned in passing.

Shiho and Fumi had little in common apart from tankery, and were both brought together by their common connection, albeit different in nature, with a single person. If Fumi's employment was terminated, or Shiho was disowned for failing to become a proper heiress- something she was fully aware was possible even back then, and strove hard to avoid- they would no longer have any reason to talk with each other.

Shiho, as young as she was, was beginning to realize what her life would be like as an adult. Most of those she associated with would be those who served under her or otherwise had business with her. They would often have an ulterior motive for currying her favor, or see her as someone to whom they were subservient. And those who did not share her goals would likely regard her as obsessed, or not worth dealing with, like her classmates had.

So was Shiho really so different from others? Did she necessarily have to be? She decided to talk to her mother to find out.

* * *

After one of Shiho's evening lessons, in which she was relentlessly drilled by her mother, Nishizumi Hotaru, Shiho asked about her peers.

"Mother?" Shiho said. "I've noticed that few people my age seem even remotely interested in tankery. Do so few people have our level of commitment to tankery?"

"Yes, Shiho, and it's their loss," Hotaru said coldly. "Success in your endeavors takes a combination of talent and determination. There are those who will not succeed no matter how hard they try, but there are also others who waste their talent by not giving their all. You have talent, Shiho, so I will not settle for anything less than perfection from you."

Shiho paused to consider her mother's words. Was it really worth limiting herself to be able to relate to other people if they had this level of resolve? Would they be worth relating to, enough so that it would justify her incurring her mother's wrath?

"Then that is what I will do, Mother," Shiho said, trying to convince herself as well as her mother. The latter's approval of her was, as always, of paramount importance, given her mother was the sole person whose opinion of her had practical ramifications for her.

Shiho's mother was still dispassionate; Shiho realized that her mother noticed the less than absolute conviction in her voice, and thus, the fact that she was not fully committed. But Hotaru chose not to rebuke Shiho, but tell her what she was meant to do.

"One day, you will understand," Shiho's mother said. "You are still young, so it is likely too much to expect you to understand the Nishizumi School's ideals, or the importance of upholding tradition. But until you do, I expect you to obey me, and dedicate yourself to becoming as good at tankery as possible, so that when you are old enough, you are prepared for your responsibilities. Do you understand me?"

Shiho knew that there was only one acceptable answer to the question.

"Yes, Mother," she said.

Evidently satisfied with her daughter's response, Shiho's mother nodded.

"Good," Shiho's mother said. "You have already shown commitment far above that of your peers- now show me that your results will similarly exceed theirs."

Shiho's mother then left her daughter to study alone. Hotaru had told Shiho to develop good study habits on her own, so that she could do well when her mother was no longer around to supervise her.

Shiho walked back into her room, sat down and began poring over a text related to operating a tank that was significantly above most elementary schoolers' reading level. There were few her age who could perform on her level.

Perhaps it was time for Shiho to stop reducing herself to the lowest common denominator. She was set apart from her peers, and that was a good thing. The day would come when she would truly understand it, but even now, she saw the difference between her and the others, and some of the results of her superior effort and greater devotion.

* * *

_Present day_

"My mother was a stern woman, who rarely gave praise, but I knew that she approved of my choices, and my results," Shiho said. "If she hadn't, I would have known; she made it clear that failure and halfhearted resolve would not be tolerated."

Miho was temporarily at a loss for words. She'd heard stories about her mother's childhood, but never this part. While it was difficult for her to openly question her mother, she knew now was the time to do so, and believed even her mother would not object to the question she had.

"I'm… honestly surprised to hear this, Mother," Miho said, "about how you decided to approach Grandmother and ask about your peers."

"Which part, Miho?" Shiho said. "That I was isolated from my peers in school as a result of my tankery training? Or that I had doubts about this?"

"The latter," Miho said. "When I was young, I also felt lonely at school, unable to make friends without common interests with my classmates. I suppose the same was true for you and my sister. But I never expected that you even thought about quitting, Mother, since you always seemed so… sure… about everything."

Miho wondered if any of her mother's schoolmates were like Hitomi, Chihiro and Emi, the first friends Miho had made as a result of tankery. Was it possible that Shiho had closed herself off from the possibility of such friendships? Miho was well aware that her friends would likely not have befriended her if she had uncritically accepted the Nishizumi style, which was one of her strongest reasons for rejecting it.

And Miho knew that her mother, who believed strongly in the value of sacrifice, would most likely never compromise her principles to accommodate those who did not go as far as she did, seeing it as a small sacrifice.

"That was because back then, I did not understand the importance of adhering to tradition," Shiho said. "I realized when I became a parent that it would be too much for you or Maho to understand that as small children, and I could only hope that you would obey, trusting me, as I trusted my mother, to raise you in the way I knew to be best for you and our school."

Masae frowned. She was starting to understand more about Shiho's motivations. But while it was refreshing to hear more about Shiho's personal vulnerability, she was disappointed to hear Shiho dismiss her inability to uncritically accept tradition as weakness.

"It seems that, yet again, you do not agree with me, Instructor Atago," Shiho said, reading Masae's expression.

"No, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "Tradition is important in some ways, but there are times when people and society must adapt to the changing times. Think back to a time when people did not foresee the creation of tanks, or seriously consider the idea of women like us having important positions in teaching."

"Perhaps not," Shiho said. "But surely there are many things about the present that you would like to keep as they are, Instructor Atago? Traditionalists believe that the past practices have endured because they work, and while the wiser ones among them realize that things will change in the future, they do not wish to see us go down paths that lead to unpleasant change or the sacrifice of the values they hold dear. And even those who recognize the value of change have been influenced by the past, even if they don't admit it or aren't fully aware of it."

"That's true," Masae said. "My parents were a large influence on me, going down different paths from their parents, but still learning from them and resolving to raise my sister and I as well as they could."

Shiho nodded. Masae had asked to meet her to learn about her, but perhaps Shiho could also learn a few things about her, her style of parenting and her teaching methods.

"Very well, Instructor Atago," Shiho said, "I would like to hear about your parents."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.

EXpertUS: The Achiga-hen series was intended to show us the other side of the tournament, which might have been interesting to see in Girls und Panzer. As for Shinohayu, nothing story-changing has been revealed so far yet, but it's still interesting to see the pros as small children, and the format for it partly inspired the format for this fic.

Shiho does tend to be fairly unapologetic about her parenting styles, but she sincerely believes that what she does is in her children's best interests, as much as her upbringing was beneficial for her own.

**Character Analysis: Hotaru Nishizumi**

Hotaru is in many ways like Shiho, in large part because Shiho chose to emulate her mother. She has strict expectations for her children, primarily judges them by their ability to succeed her, and is intolerant of failure, even if her daughter, by meeting her standards, did not test how far she would go for the sake of corrective action. Like Shiho, Hotaru focuses mainly on the good of the Nishizumi school, and thinks of considering a single individual's welfare above the goal of the family unit as foolishly sentimental at best. Hotaru has dedicated her life to tankery, and will not stand for anything less from her daughter and granddaughters. As a result of that, Miho and Maho saw little of her, and have few memories of her.

Of course, Hotaru is only similar to Shiho to a point. She's slightly more "hands-off" than Shiho is; while she expects Shiho to achieve perfection, much like Shiho does for Maho, Hotaru is more willing to sit back and leave Shiho to her own devices, trusting her to do what she has been taught and to meet her expectations. This is partly because Hotaru does not have a daughter who defies her expectations, and partly because she (correctly) believes in Shiho's ability to follow her orders and live up to her standards.

How would Hotaru deal with Miho? Shiho cannot say for certain apart from her justified belief that Hotaru would not approve of her granddaughter's deviations from the style but knows of her mother's harsh standards, refusal to accept anything less than the best and devotion to the Nishizumi tradition, and so chooses to follow her mother's example, while hoping that Maho will one day do the same. In that sense, while Hotaru may have passed on, her legacy can be seen in the Nishizumi family's present situation.


	3. Masae 1: Training Wheels

**Masae 1: Training Wheels  
**

_Present day_

Masae paused to consider how to tell her story, but had known all along that she would be asked to share her story. Telling it came naturally, as she had shared it with her friends, with her students, with the press, and those who had read her book, and believed that if she wanted Shiho to share her own experiences, she should respond in kind. So she started by going back to a question Shiho had posed.

"As I said earlier, I was not expected to grow up according to a pre-determined role," Masae said. "My parents were relatively flexible about what path we chose, and their only expectation was that we would become capable and mature enough to follow it through to the end."

"That sounds rather hands-off," Shiho said. "It seems less than responsible to leave so much of a child's development to blind faith. My mother did not dictate everything to me, but at the same time, she told me what I needed to do in order to succeed, and expected great things from me."

"I think of it differently," Masae said,."When the time came for middle school, they trusted me to make my own decisions. And they were somewhat strict, at least compared to most parents. They expected us to do well in school so that we would have more options later in life. And if we got involved in an extracurricular activity, we were expected to take it seriously."

Masae paused, noticing that Shiho still seemed unconvinced.

"I suppose if you want an example that easily relates this principle, I could tell you about one time, when my mother was teaching me how to ride a bicycle," Masae said.

"So did mine," Shiho said, having trouble discerning the point.

"When I first started, I did so with training wheels, and my mother close at hand," Masae said. "It was expected that I would make mistakes, so my mother would help me if I did. And since I wasn't ready to handle everything just yet, she would help me with what I could not."

* * *

_32 years ago_

Masae, at eight years old, was pedaling a bicycle around the upper middle class suburban neighborhood she lived in, with the help of her mother, Atago Mikoto.

Her younger sister, Atago Masaki, watched from a distance. Their mother had decided that she was not yet ready to learn how to ride a bicycle. Masaki, when asked, politely said that she had accepted it, and said she would simply be able to wait until next year, learning from her sister. In most things, Masaki looked up to her older sister, and followed her example, or at the very least, drew lessons from Masae's decisions.

As she practiced pedaling, Masae heard a lecture from her mother on which streets to go on, how to cycle safely, why she should not cycle too fast- as her mother put it, if she was in a hurry, she might never reach her destination- and other related topics. Masae realized the importance of those topics, having heard a few stories of terrible accidents, but for the moment, her mother was with her, and it was impossible to deviate from the path on which she was guided, regardless of whether her new course would be safe or unsafe.

"Do you understand what I'm telling you, Masae?" Mikoto said.

"Yes, Mother," Masae said respectfully. "Of course, it all seems so far off, considering I still can't pedal alone, and am depending on you to help me at the moment."

"You depend on me for a fair amount of things that are more important than this, and for good reason," Mikoto said. "For example, you're not yet ready to do the grocery shopping or cook, much less come up with the money for food on your own. As such, there's no shame in relying on me to do those things, until you're ready."

"I understand," Masae said. "But I know even now that that it can't last forever. Is that not true?"

"It's true," Mikoto said. "But all the same, it's important for you to have a childhood, and develop at a proper rate. As I told you earlier in this lecture, if you're in too much of a hurry to reach your destination, it's entirely likely that you may never make it there."

Masae nodded as she continued to work the pedals, focusing on the task at hand. While the idea of staying balanced on her bicycle, as well as the possibility of being injured if she fell off, was an intimidating one to her, she knew that if she stayed focused on what she was learning at the moment, it would be more manageable.

On a wider scale, back then, Masae had no idea what sort of adult she would become, or if her mother had any specific goals for her. To her, tankery was something she had only vaguely heard about, and teachers were her mentors and respected authority figures, rather than a goal to which she could aspire. But one day, she would find answers of her own, and chart her own path in life.

* * *

_Present day_

"I learned three lessons from my mother that day," Masae said. "The first was how to ride a bicycle. The second was about childhood. The third, and more subtle one, was to take things at their own pace, and appreciate the process, rather than focus solely on the result."

Hiroe could not help but be reminded of Ceylon after hearing that. Ceylon had adopted what she believed to be the ruthless methods the Nishizumi School and Black Forest used to win their battles, but had far less success. So what did Ceylon have now? Hiroe felt a bit of pity for her, but more for those who suffered under her command.

"But what about the result?" Shiho said. "The most important question is- did your mother succeed? Do you think you are succeeding in following this path?"

Masae nodded, the answer Shiho had anticipated.

"Yes; Mother succeeded, and I believe I have, as well," Masae said. "Even as she watched over me riding, she made note of my progress, and corrected my mistakes. She also had high expectations for my sister and I, so that we would have more choices available to us in the future, as well as the attitude necessary to make the right choices. She wasn't indifferent to whether we succeeded in the future, but had a more flexible definition of what could be considered a success and how we could achieve it."

"I suppose that's to be expected, given your parents' intentions," Shiho said.

"The first time I rode my bicycle on my own around the street felt like a tremendous accomplishment, but also one that I felt completely prepared for," Masae said. "Even after I learned how to command tanks, machines that were far larger, more complex and needed more people to operate, I still look back fondly on that memory."

Shiho nodded, while also giving a skeptical look that indicated her wondering when Masae would get to the point. Masae, taking the cue, decided to transition the story to middle school."

"The time eventually came for me to leave for middle school, which meant living apart from my parents," Masae said. "I had to adjust to it, like I did with riding my bicycle without training wheels, but I felt as though I was prepared for living alone, and now it was only a matter of actually doing it."

* * *

_28 years ago_

Masae, with the help of her mother and the movers, finished unpacking everything she brought to her dorm room in the Troika Middle School ship. The process was a large job, one that she could not handle herself, but everything else in her middle school life was entirely up to her. Once her mother left, it would be up to Masae to go to school, keep up in her studies, and handle all other aspects of her life on a daily basis.

"That seems to be the last of your belongings," Mikoto said. "I will keep in touch with you, Masae; please call every so often. Your father and sister also miss you, so they would appreciate hearing from you as well."

"Yes, Mother," Masae said. "I will let you know if I need anything."

"I can help you if there is a problem you cannot handle on your own," Mikoto said, "but, as I said before, I also hope that you will be able to stand on your own to an extent."

Masae nodded, having some idea of what she was facing.

"You will face many decisions while at middle school," Mikoto said, "and while I am willing to help you, you will have to face some of them on your own. Like when I taught you how to ride a bicycle, much of what I have taught you over the past few years, and am still teaching your sister, involves being able to do things on your own. Thankfully, you have performed quite well so far, so I believe you will make the right decisions."

"Thank you, Mother," Masae said. "I promise, I will not let you down."

"I'm sure you'll do well, Masae," Mikoto said, before she and Masae said their goodbyes.

As the door shut behind her, Masae sat at her desk and looked around her room. Everything she needed for school and for daily life had been unpacked, just as she and her mother had gone down the checklist. Keeping the room clean would be her responsibility, but she had been tasked with cleaning her own room, and so felt prepared for a dorm room. Masae and her mother had spent weeks preparing for this, but had spent over a decade preparing her to live on her own. Masae had everything she needed for middle school, and felt ready.

_"You've prepared me well, Mother," _Masae thought.

* * *

_Present day _

"So that's how my mother raised me, and prepared me to live on my own," Masae said. "But by now, I suppose you've noticed one very important thing missing from my account."

"Tankery," the others at the table said. Hiroe, Kinue and Hiroko said it immediately, while the Nishizumis followed half a second later, having taken a moment to deduce it.

"Exactly," Masae said. "To be honest, it's not very often that people have a firm idea as to what they want to be when they grow up for as long as they remember. I was slightly surprised that Hiroe got interested in tankery from such a young age, compared to Kinue and Hiroko becoming interested while they were in middle school. Father took until high school to come up with a desired career."

"As for tankery…" Masae said, "I had heard about it in various contexts, such as a list of Troika student clubs, and gradually became interested."

"Your mother had no involvement with tankery before?" Miho said. Masae shook her head.

"My mother didn't think of tankery as a traditional pursuit," Masae said, "but she realized that my sister and I would likely take different paths from her. She was the first woman in her family who worked outside of the home, and while she suspected we might do the same, she had no expectations of us following her path- I became a tankery teacher and Masaki became a homemaker. So when I let her know about my desire to get involved in tankery, she had no objections."

"What kind of team did your middle school have?" Maho said.

"Troika's team was in its infancy back then," Masae said. "It's certainly quite different from what it is today, and was less serious and organized. At the time, however, I didn't care about such things, and saw tankery as something potentially interesting that I could do."

* * *

_28 years ago_

Masae stood with the rest of the new recruits in the assembly area of Troika Middle School, waiting for the introductory meeting for tankery to begin.

A woman in her forties who wore a brown suit walked up to the podium. Her hair, styled in a bun, was raven-colored, not having started to gray.

"Hello, and welcome to the Troika Middle School tankery team," the woman said. "My name is Kumakura Toshi, coach of the team. I would like to welcome you all, as well as thank you for applying."

Toshi gave a short speech about the origins and purpose of tankery, and showed the same filmstrip that Miho had seen, although it was on a film reel, rather than a DVD. After it concluded, Toshi got the attention of the schoolgirls and resumed her speech.

"As you can see, tankery has a long and storied history," Toshi said. "But it's a more recent addition to Troika, having been established in the last two years. As such, we need more people for our team, and we are grateful that you are willing to help us, and help yourselves grow into strong women."

Evidently having finished her speech, Toshi surveyed the crowd.

"Do you have any questions?" Toshi said.

Masae raised her hand. "Yes?" Toshi said, pointing to Masae.

"Coach, what are you expecting out of those who make the main team?" Masae said. "We may need tankers, but do we not need ones who are reliable ones, as well?"

Toshi paused to consider the suggestion.

"That's a good question and a good point," Toshi said."But before I get to that, I forgot to mention one thing. On a practical level, I'm not a coach, but more of a faculty member who is branching out, so to speak, and on a personal one, I think of myself as more of a teacher. So instead of 'Coach', I would prefer to be addressed as any faculty member would be. 'Sensei,' 'Kumakura-sensei,' or 'Ma'am' are all acceptable ways of addressing me."

"Yes, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said.

"As for your question," Toshi said,. "If you're thinking in practical terms, talent is always good, but how many of the newcomers have tankery experience? Please raise your hands if you do."

Only five girls raised their hands. Masae later learned that at least one of them was a transfer student and an upperclassman, but could not say for certain where the other four had learned tankery.

"Five of you?" Toshi said. "That's five more than I expected. We lost a fair amount of our team recently, as a result of their graduating so while skilled ones are always welcome, we need people. But more than experience, I'm looking for people with good character, who are dedicated, hard-working and willing to learn and challenge themselves. Such people will not only rise to the occasion, but also get the most out of tankery."

Several other girls asked about the team, asking more practical questions such as practice times.

Eventually, the assembly concluded, and the girls went their separate ways for the day, since practice would not start until the next day. Toshi, however, walked up to Masae.

"I must say, that was a very good question you asked, young lady," Toshi said. "It's not often that I hear someone who, to paraphrase the words of an American president about two decades ago, asks not what the team can do for her, but what she can do for the team."

"Thank you, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said.

"You're welcome..." Toshi began.

"Atago Masae, first-year," Masae said, and she and Toshi bowed to each other. "I'm honestly surprised that so many, like me, were new to tankery."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly have a job if you and the others already knew everything there was to know, Masae," Toshi said. "Back when I was an English teacher, before being drafted to be the school's tankery instructor, I was more concerned with how well the students could learn a new language, rather than how much they already knew."

Masae nodded. She realized that her opponents would not make any allowances for her being a novice, but was determined to do the best she could. This was an opportunity to represent her school, improve herself and have fun, so she was determined to make the most of it.

* * *

_Present day  
_

"While I do have to pick and choose who to admit to my school, I do so while remembering that I, too, was once a bright-eyed neophyte who saw tankery as interesting in spite of my lack of knowledge about it," Masae said. "And so, if I have no room for some people, I do my best to not quash their enthusiasm, and wish them the best of luck elsewhere, just like Kumakura-sensei would."

"Your coach's name sounds familiar, Instructor Atago," Miho said.

"That's because Kumakura-sensei's now Pravda's coach, Miho-chan," Kinue said. "She's been here a long time, and adjusted her teachings to her new school, and over the years, but some things haven't changed. She still values sportsmanship and believes in fair play. She also still prefers not to be called 'Coach', even though she's doing it full-time now."

Shiho pondered what had been said. Perhaps it would be unfair to judge them by the Nishizumi School standards, but she believed that one's results spoke for themselves, and any attempt at explaining them away was merely making excuses.

"To be blunt, Instructor Atago, your school back then hardly sounds like a winning team," Shiho said. "I concede that people are not born with tankery skill, but it seems less than likely that a school starting from that point would have any chance of winning."

Hiroe frowned. She disliked hearing that from Shiho, especially given how much she respected Toshi, her coach. But Hiroe knew, from her mother's stories, that Troika two decades ago was a far cry from what it became by the time she attended it, much less Pravda.

Miho shook her head. Oarai was composed almost entirely of novices, but they had come far in their limited amount of time. And yet, their success was somewhat improbable, and had been helped by the members of the team who had experience, good strategy, and a great deal of luck.

Masae glanced around, noticing that save for Maho, who seemed neutral, the others disliked, but could not contest Shiho's assertion.

"I suppose it would be from the Nishizumi School's standards," Masae said, "and it certainly was not one compared to Black Forest, or your middle school."

"That reminds me..." Shiho said, "I remember facing your school in the semi-finals in my first year of middle school."

"You did," Masae said. "You never saw me, since I was only a tank commander, albeit for the flag tank. Perhaps for you, it was just another victory, but for me, it was my first taste of defeat at a crucial moment."

* * *

_28 years ago_

Masae walked off the field at the tankery tournament semi-finals. Her school had just been defeated, with all the tanks picked off one by one, until Masae's flag tank was finally disabled.

Masae's commander had not blamed her, although Masae wondered if that was merely her showing good sportsmanship, something that Toshi had strongly emphasized during training. In all practice matches, the members of both sides were to bow to each other and shake hands before and after the match. A part of Masae wondered if the commander did, in fact, blame her,but considered it bad manners to openly express such a sentiment.

As Masae wandered, trying to come to terms with what had happened, she wondered what her mother would think. Her mother had taught her the value of responsibility, and of doing her part for her family, her employer and society in general. So what would she say now that Masae, in spite of all her efforts, had fallen short of her commitment to her team?

"There you are, Masae," Mikoto said, evidently having looked for her daughter for some time in the aftermath of the battle.

"Mother…" Masae said, fearing her mother's reaction. Masae had always been a good student, regarded as diligent in all her pursuits, and with enough talent to make her efforts fruitful. Now that she had let her team down, what would her mother think?

"I saw the entire match," Mikoto said. "I may not know much about tankery, but the enemy seemed strong, and you did your best against them."

"Th...this defeat was not a waste of time, Mother," Masae said, not wanting to believe that the battle was a hopeless one, even if it meant she was responsible for the loss. "In facing a stronger enemy, I feel as though I've been challenged to improve myself, in hopes of someday defeating them."

"Then that's good enough for me," Mikoto said with a warm smile. "I would even say that it's a good thing that you lost today, Masae, so that you can learn how to come back from future defeats and failures. You cannot hope for perfection, only to be the best you can be."

Masae nodded, before preparing to head back to the school ship. In the days and weeks to come, she would ask herself and the others difficult questions about where they had failed, and where they needed improvement. But the knowledge that they could learn from defeats gave them hope, and the encouragement that they needed to improve as much as they could.

* * *

_Present day_

"While part of Mother's reaction was due to not knowing much about tankery," Masae said, "she is also a person who believes that defeat- and failure in general- is not necessarily shameful. This attitude did not change even after she learned more about tankery over the years, as my involvement with it continued, and increased."

"Yeah," Hiroe said. "And Mom took that attitude to heart when she became a parent."

"When Hiroe lost to Maho the first time four years ago, I saw in her face the same expression I had on mine on that day," Masae said, "the same shame over her loss, feeling of letting down her teammates, and desire to improve. Defeat can be a bitter pill to swallow, but it's also a stepping stone to improve, so that you can prevail in your future struggles."

"And what if you never face defeat?" Shiho said.

"Then that's a pity," Masae said. "Putting aside the fact that it's practically impossible to have an unbroken win streak, if you always keep winning, you will start to take your victories for granted, while fearing losing."

"Perhaps, but there are some cases in which you cannot afford to lose," Shiho said. "And in those cases, it would be wiser to trust your goals to those who do not accept defeat, and are willing to go as far as it takes to win."

"I agree, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said, "but no game of tankery, not even when the name of my school is involved, qualifies as one in which losing is absolutely unacceptable."

Shiho sighed.

"That's yet another case where you and I differ, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "You said that if you focus on the process rather than the results, the results would take care of themselves?" Masae nodded. "You've heard about how I was raised, so now let me tell you about the results."

_"So it begins," _Masae thought, _"the part in which Instructor Nishizumi justifies her childhood, and with it, her means of raising her daughters. It may be difficult for me to hear, but this will likely help me find some of the answers I'm seeking."_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.

**Character Analysis: Masae**

Canonically, Masae has a very minor role in Saki: Achiga-hen, but has a fairly interesting character for her screentime, coming off as strict but compassionate. She expects her students to do their best, but also comforts them after their loss. She gives no preferential treatment to her niece Hiroko, but is honestly glad to see her doing well. She had to pass over Toki for the main team for two years, but saw her potential in her third year, and visits her in the hospital when she collapses during a match. Here, her strictness will be shown somewhat more as she's a commander and a teacher, but she's a far cry from Shiho.

Masae is not a very traditional person. She has some degree of respect for tradition, but largely views rigid adherence to it as impractical at best. As her own mother did what was, for her own family, fairly unprecedented, she realizes that times change, and tends to follow her own beliefs more than tradition.

Masae is significantly more confident than Miho, and sees herself as more of a leader. On the other hand, Masae shares Miho's gratitude for those who supported her, and reluctance to forcibly convert others to her way of thinking. How well she would have done at Oarai has yet to be seen.

Here, you will see some of the influences that shaped Masae. A common trend will be her trying to avoid the mistakes of those whose approaches have, in her mind, failed, and emulating those she respects, such as her parents and her teacher. Masae has many roles- as a wife, a mother and a teacher- and seeks to play all of them to the best of her ability.


	4. Shiho 2: Something To Prove

**Shiho 2: Something To Prove  
**

_Present day_

Shiho's account of her childhood transitioned to the part in which she discussed her results, which she believed were her reward for everything she had gone through as a young child, and her justification for putting her children through the same experience.

"Before I begin discussing my middle school years, I would like to share an insight I've had about my and your families, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "Upon further consideration, I believe our parents differed less in their goals than their methods."

"How so?" Masae said.

"Your parents and mine were the same in the concept of preparing us to become independent of them," Shiho said. "The main difference was in the standards to which they held us."

The Atagos glanced at each other, unable to dispute Shiho's point.

"I understand," Masae said. "That's the basic goal of parenting. The advent of the school ships is meant to help children become independent, and it makes it all the more important for parents to ensure that their children do become independent"

"Of course, tankery wasn't the only thing my parents taught me," Shiho said. "My parents expected me to learn everything else children learn at that age, from academics to chores to other life skills- and _better_ than most children my age, at that. As such, I was more than ready to live on my own at middle school."

* * *

_28 years ago_

Shiho looked over her apartment at middle school, as her family finished unpacking her things. The process of moving was too great for her to do herself, so her mother had decided to help her do it, even if she also expected Shiho to do her part in the process, partly to pull her own weight, partly because it was for her room, and partly on principle.

Unpacking did not take long, since Shiho had only brought necessities to her dorm room, which she viewed as a place where she could study and sleep, not to be used for any frivolities.

As the unpacking finished, Shiho's mother told her what she expected of her. Shiho listened attentively, but years later, could not remember what she had said in its entirety, and was unsure of what she had told her then that she had not already. But in the end, it was all just another reminder of what Shiho knew already, and telling her what she intended to do herself.

SHotaru, having finished her speech, started toward the door to head back home.

"I will talk with you later, Shiho," Hotaru said. "Remember that I expect great things from you, and make our family and the Nishizumi School proud."

"Yes, Mother," Shiho said. "I promise that the news I give to you will be good."

With a nod, Hotaru left her daughter's dorm room to go home, and Shiho felt like a soldier being sent on a mission. She would be far from those who gave her orders, and forced to make decisions on her own, but she was expected to succeed. They believed she could take care of herself well enough, and as such, were more concerned about whether she could accomplish her mission than whether she could survive, so to speak. All this did seem intimidating when she thought of it that way.

But she had succeeded in her past "missions," and had prepared for her current one. And having gone through harsh training, the reality was nothing she had not prepared for. Could other people, whom Shiho saw as playing at being soldiers, say the same?

Shiho resolved that for the next three years, and all the years to come, she would show her mother and her classmates that her childhood was not wasted, and she was better prepared than anyone else. She had prior training and something to prove, which would be the key to her success.

* * *

_Present day  
_

"Some have said that the Nishizumi School essentially forces its subordinates and children to become mindless automatons, acting only on the instructions of their leaders and parents, respectively," Shiho said. "But while they are expected to follow orders, it's simply not true to say that they do not think for themselves."

"How so?" Masae said skeptically, knowing that when Black Forest's leadership was unable to respond to an unexpected development, it was the best opportunity their opponents could hope for to seize the advantage."

"Those under one's command must possess a certain level of autonomy, and be able to make their own decisions while upholding the Nishizumi School's honor and advancing their superiors' objectives, even when they're not told precisely what to do," Shiho said. "For example, a tank on an independent scouting action should know what to do if they encounter the enemy. However, those who give such people commands should stay in contact with them, so they know what they're doing."

"To put it simply..." Shiho said, "when I entered Bismarck Middle School, I was expected to make decisions on my own, for the Nishizumi School's honor. Of course, I knew well enough what I should do, and the first step was to seek out and apply for the tankery team."

* * *

_28 years ago._

Shiho stood in line as a member of the Bismarck Middle School's tankery team processed the applications.

Shiho, from her position midway through the line, faintly overheard a few of the girls in front of her cheerfully and shamelessly admit to having no prior tankery experience, albeit not in those exact words, as they excitedly talked about getting started in it. If they had done nothing to prepare themselves, why were they getting involved in tankery? Did they not realize that their actions impacted their middle school's chances of success, and its prestige? Or were they simply content to do tankery without representing the school in the tournament? Neither seemed to be traits that a good Nishizumi would have.

Looking around at all of those people, Shiho wondered if those who had derided her studying tankery in elementary were there now, and if they could still say that she had wasted her time. Did that girl who invited her to play soccer with her have any chance of getting onto her team, or was she merely wasting her time?

Shiho was certain that her childhood had been spent well. She had spent her time preparing, and now the time had come to show everyone the results of her training.

The only question was whether she could rely on the rest of her team. Shiho realized that she could not succeed in tankery alone, but had hoped for teammates with her level of resolve.

But Shiho believed her mother had prepared her for this, and knew that the Nishizumis had to succeed, no matter what disadvantages they were burdened with. It was up to her to not only lead, but set an example to her troops, and show all opponents why the Nishizumi style was the best.

* * *

_Present day_

"Perhaps my first impression of those recruits overestimated how many were unaware of what they were getting into, but my main belief still stood," Shiho said. "Few of them had any prior experience, or the Nishizumis' drive for victory. If they applied to the Nishizumi School with that level of resolve, they would have been turned away."

"Would they even have _wanted_ to go there?" Hiroe said. "Most people who aren't die-hard tankers would get scared off once they realized what they were getting into."

"Yes, that's a good question, Hiroe," Masae said. "Our family's school is meant to attract dedicated individuals who would fall short of the Nishizumi School's expectations."

"Both of you are correct," Shiho said. "But unfortunately, while in middle school, I could not simply turn away those newcomers who were naive and underestimated the difficulty of what they were getting into, even if I did have the authority."

"Ah, yes, you weren't commander in your first year," Masae said.

Shiho nodded.

"Unlike Maho, I did not earn the rank of commander in my first year, but I was able to earn the rank of vice-captain," Shiho said. "However, even that was apparently somewhat controversial, as I had been chosen over some of my senpais."

* * *

_28 years ago_

Shiho sat in the commander's office, having been called in to discuss her application.

The commander, Aizawa Kazuko, a third-year, had a grim expression on her face. Shiho could tell from the beginning that she had not passed with flying colors, but at the same time, realized it would not be a standard rejection speech.

"As usual, choosing vice-captain was a difficult decision," Kazuko said. "We received many applications from well-qualified individuals, and called in the ones who seemed most promising for an interview. I was happy that so many individuals had an honest interest in helping me lead the team, and disappointed that I would have to say no to so many of them. I hope you understand, Nishizumi-san."

Shiho nodded, but inwardly disapproved of Kazuko's sentiments. Her candor was refreshing, but would she always be this hesitant or conflicted about difficult decisions?

But even if Shiho found Kazuko's attitude unsuited for a leader, she was still her commander, and she had to abide by her decisions.

"I do, Commander," Shiho said. "I understand that you have many difficult choices as commander."

"That's good," the Kazuko said, "because you'll be helping me make some of them as my vice-captain. You may be a first-year, but you have the experience and the disposition that are best suited to be a commander."

"Thank you, ma'am," Shiho said, graciously.

"But I will be honest with you, Nishizumi-san," Kazuko said. "There are those out there who are not happy about the idea of a first-year taking the position of Vice-Captain for the team, despite, or rather, _because_ of the Nishizumi school. I decided to give you a chance, not because of your name, but because you showed great potential, much more than the other applicants."

Shiho wondered why Kazuko was mentioning other people at this moment. Did Kazuko put so much stock in other people gossiping and spreading rumors? Or was this, in fact, _Kazuko's own_ opinion, and she wanted to hide it from Shiho? Shiho believed that if either of those true- albeit while considering that something else might be true- then Kazuko hardly seemed to have the resolve necessary to be a commander.

But Shiho was not there to put down Kazuko's qualifications, but to defend her own. Regardless of whether Kazuko was the one who was convinced Shiho might not be experienced enough, or whether Kazuko was suited to make that judgment, Kazuko was the one Shiho needed to convince.

"Perhaps they're looking at it from the wrong angle, Commander," Shiho said. "The fact that a first-year can earn the position should be seen as proof that others can, through appropriate talent and diligence, achieve what I have. Not everyone _will_ achieve this, but they owe it to themselves and their team to try as hard as they can and push themselves as far as possible."

Kazuko hesitantly nodded.

"You may be right, Nishizumi-san," she said. "I'm not so arrogant as to believe that it is impossible for others to equal or surpass my achievements. But in any case, results matter most of all, and I'm expecting great things from you."

Shiho stood up and saluted. What Kazuko was saying after all, was the most important part. They agreed on this much, so perhaps Kazuko would understand her.

"I won't let you down, ma'am," Shiho said.

* * *

_Present day_

The Atagos at the table were surprised to hear about the arrogant and willful Shiho acting so subserviently toward anyone else, even an authority figure. Perhaps this was proof of how much Shiho needed to prove herself, as she usually tended to let her and her school's reputations speak for themselves, and could more easily dictate the terms in which she interacted with others. Perhaps weakening her position would induce a great deal of humility in Shiho.

"As you can probably tell, I was under a fair amount of pressure to succeed," Shiho said, "not only because of my mother's expectations, but also out of a desire to prove myself to my teammates and show that they were wrong to doubt me because of my lack of seniority."

"To be honest, it's not entirely unreasonable that they would feel that way, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "People are naturally suspicious of an outsider who arrives to take charge and/or change the natural order of things, regardless of what their reasons for doing so are. Sometimes it's because such individuals are unknown quantities, sometimes it's because of their having the audacity to dictate changes, and sometimes it's because of the nature of the proposed changes. Imagine if, for example, someone enrolled in the Nishizumi School with the express goal of changing it one day."

Shiho reluctantly nodded. While she believed her critics and skeptics were wrong, she realized that her senpais shared the same goal as she did, if not the same drive for it.

"I suppose you're speaking from personal experience, Instructor Atago, but I suspect that part comes later on," Shiho said, "possibly from when you went to Pravda."

"It does," Masae said. "I will tell you of how I dealt with my problems, then, but I would like to hear about _your_ solution first."

Shiho nodded.

"It's more or less the same solution I had for solidifying my position at Black Forest, and anywhere else," Shiho said. "I had to prove I was better than everyone else, and thus more deserving of the position."

* * *

_28 years ago_

The first round of the tournament had ended. Bismarck Middle School had faced Stars and Stripes, its American-themed rival and one of the stronger schools in the middle school level, and had triumphed, just as they had expected, and just as Shiho had been expected to do. Shiho, together with Kazuko, reviewed the results.

Shiho looked over all the tanks that had been lost, and noticed that two of them were headed by her rivals for the position of Vice-Captain, both of whom were third-years.

"What are your thoughts, Vice-Captain?" Kazuko said.

"Our team did relatively well, Commander, but we do have weak links," Shiho said. "To be honest, a few of our regulars are not performing at a level appropriate for those who would represent our school in the tournament."

"I have noticed it as well, Vice-Captain," Kazuko said. "But we are winning at the moment."

"It's because we are doing things better than our opponents," Shiho said. "And if we want to continue to win, we cannot coddle our team members or view spots on the regular team as for those who do not give their all to support the team. To use an analogy, if you find out a door to your stable isn't locked, you lock it immediately, rather than waiting for a horse to escape through it."

Kazuko nodded.

"See me in my office later," Kazuko said, "I'd like to meet with you and the coach to discuss these points more in-depth."

"Thank you, ma'am," Shiho said.

Shiho was not one to shy away from sacrificing tanks in battle, but wanted there to be some meaning in their sacrifices. If they had to lose tanks, those tanks should go down fighting, and take some of their enemies with them. To Shiho, being taken out without accomplishing anything for the team was shameful, almost treasonous in how it undermined the goal of the group.

Shiho concluded that tankery was, in the simplest possible term, a matter of doing a job. And if a given person could not do her job, Shiho believed the solution was to find someone who could.

* * *

_Present day_

"In the weeks and months to come, there were apparently fewer complaints about my being vice-captain," Shiho said. "It could be because I disproved my critics, or because they realized they did not have a leg to stand on to criticize me."

"I do have a question, though, Instructor Nishizumi," Kinue said. "You often seemed… critical… of your commander and your teammates. But even if they seemed less committed than you, didn't their efforts help you achieve your goal?"

Hiroe nodded, recalling how Kinue, back when she was a goalkeeper for her elementary school soccer team, played a crucial role for her team's defense, but realized that for offense, her teammates would be the ones who would end up scoring points. She also recalled how Maho had once told her that the efforts of her teammates helped her to live up to her mother's standards and she was grateful to them for that, even if they did not care for Miho in the same way she did. Her mother had first started the honorary graduate system as a way for students to help honor their teammates who worked well with them, as a way of emphasizing the cooperative nature of tankery.

"_That's a good question, Kinue,"_ Hiroe thought, _"even if 'critical' it is putting it delicately."_

Shiho paused to consider it a moment.

"They did, and in doing so, they did what I expected of them," Shiho said flatly. "Just as they would have turned on me if I had failed to prove myself suited to the job, I would have taken steps to deal with anyone who did not give their all or achieve sufficient results in tankery, up to and including removing them from the team."

Kinue sighed, feeling as though Shiho was speaking to her, while Hiroe frowned, disappointed that her sister's question had failed to trip up Shiho. Hiroko's expression remained unchanged, though, having anticipated this reaction, although she was inwardly less than happy to hear it.

Masae glanced at her daughters and niece with a sympathetic expression.

"_I know how you feel, girls," _Masae thought. _"But I honestly had no expectation of being able to shake about four decades worth of indoctrination."_

But Masae had thought of something to ask Shiho.

"So, while at Bismarck, did you ultimately have to do it?" Masae said.

"I did," Shiho said. "I had to clear all my dismissals with the commander, but for the most part, she approved, as long as I stayed to the guidelines and followed procedure."

* * *

_28 years ago_

Shiho and Kazuko, sat at their desk, meeting with Miyoshi Chizuru, a third-year and one of Shiho's rivals for the position of vice-captain. Shiho had heard second-hand that Chizuru had apparently proposed a style that was more laid-back than Shiho's or the current commander, concerned that the current atmosphere hurt morale and encouraged rivalries between team members without doing anything to help the team's performance.

Shiho could not help but crack a smirk when she thought about the latter belief, as she reviewed Chizuru's performance. In the first two rounds of the tournament, Chizuru had failed to survive until the end of the game, and had notably fewer "kills" than the other crews did.

"You wanted to see me, Commander, Vice-captain? Chizuru said.

"We do," Kazuko said. "We have noticed various deficiencies in your performance lately. Vice-captain, please elaborate."

Shiho nodded, and began to list Chizuru's various failures and mistakes, which Chizuru was unable to deny and could not easily dispute. Shiho found using concrete standards and quantifiable data was a good way of forming conclusions that were solid.

Finally, Shiho got to the point.

"...and as such, we have decided to drop you from the regular team," Shiho said.

Chizuru's eyes involuntarily locked into a glare, her face twisting and contorting as she forced herself to remain silent. Shiho recalled how Chizuru wondered if she was truly ready to be vice-captain, and suspected that part of Chizuru now found it utterly humiliating that her younger rival had not only taken the vice-captain position she desired, but was now judging her and stripping her of the position she had before. Chizuru appeared to be doing all she could to suppress her negative emotions and take this development with grace.

But Shiho did not give points for merely trying; to her, it hardly mattered if a shell landed way off target or just short of the target, if it failed to hit the enemy. Chizuru's barely concealed anger was a clear sign that she did not only lack the skill and diligence to be a good Nishizumi, but also lacked the control over her emotions.

As Chizuru walked away, a hand on her face to hide her tears, Shiho felt very little. She had long since become used to people hating her for various reasons- for being more successful than they were, for her ruthless drive for perfection and due to her lack of tolerance for those who were not strong enough- and believed Chizuru represented all three. But as long as Shiho was succeeding, fulfilling her duties to her family and her school, the opinions of such individuals did not matter to her.

Kazuko let out a sigh.

"Is something the matter, Commander?" Shiho said.

"It's always hard when I have to do this," Kazuko said. "Perhaps you were right, but it hardly seems like a desirable outcome."

Shiho simply shook her head.

"If you know that it is right, Commander, don't hesitate or turn away from your decisions," Shiho said. "Doing what you must, when you must is necessary to win, and it's the difference between you and that girl."

Kazuko reluctantly nodded. Perhaps she would never fully agree with Shiho, but as long as she could do what was necessary, Shiho would be content, for her doing so would enable Shiho to uphold her own duties.

* * *

_Present day_

Hiroe furrowed her brow, wondering what, if any justification Shiho had for her decision. She had to make many difficult decisions during her time at Pravda, but she gave more thought to changes in the lineup than Shiho did.

"You know, I can't help but shake this feeling..." Hiroe said. "Might it be possible that this woma... Instructor Nishizumi made up an excuse to kick Miyoshi Chizuru off the team? Some of my scouts or bait for the trap tend to get taken out even more easily than that, but their sacrifices are beneficial for the team as a whole."

Shiho remained silent.

"Having looked at the same data for our three years of high school, and having advised you on such decisions, I agree, Hiroe," Hiroko said. "The problem, however, is that Instructor Nishizumi has given little to conclusively support this, and she would likely not admit to it even if it was true. You're not wrong to ask that question, but you can't reasonably expect an honest answer."

"My motives are ultimately beside the point," Shiho said. "When making adjustments to the team roster, it all boils down to one question- can this individual do what is necessary to win? For her, the answer was no."

"I get what you're saying," Hiroe said, a hint of reluctance in her voice as she conceded that she could not argue with Shiho's point. "I just think that was kind of flimsy evidence for that decision."

"Her philosophy of leadership was entirely unsuited to the team," Shiho said. "And as time passed, I realized that this was because she was second-rate by nature. In any case, what any of you would have done is beside the point."

Masae simply nodded, realizing that this current line of questioning was getting her nowhere, since Shiho was free to repeat her ideology.

"Does the expression 'lonely at the top' come to mind, Instructor Nishizumi?" Masae said. "I imagine that there are few who possess commitment that is equal to or greater than yours. And if you remain aloof from and cannot emphasize with those who are below you, you run the risk of ending up isolated."

"Perhaps," Shiho said. "There are few people with anywhere near my level of commitment. But surely, in spite of your differences from me in terms of ideology and personality, you're not much different in that regard, Instructor Atago?"

"I am?" Masae said incredulously. Shiho nodded.

"As a commander, and as a teacher, you are in a position of authority above others, and must remain dispassionate while making decisions about them," Shiho said. "You may not be prepared to go as far as Nishizumis do, but you are significantly more ambitious than most of your contemporaries, especially in not just heading, but founding a school."

Masae sighed.

"You're right, Instructor Nishizumi," she said. "On duty I am cognizant of how I am a leader and those under my command are subordinates. When I give an order, I expect it to be followed. I suppose this may mean little to you, but I take it seriously."

Hiroe nodded.

"So what do you do when certain people don't meet _your_ expectations, much less my school's?" Shiho said. "Surely you have encountered people without the talent or the commitment even you require?"

Masae ignored the condescending edge in Shiho's voice, knowing that the question behind it was one that she had to deal with more often than she had liked.

"That's a good question," Masae said, "and it ties into the very reason why I came to Black Forest in the first place."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Interestingly enough, we've never seen Shiho interact with someone who has more authority than she does in canon, and haven't even seen that much in fan fiction. As such, I imagine that Shiho would be outwardly respectful toward them, having been taught to respect authority figures, but would likely disagree with some of their decisions, albeit keeping those sentiments to herself until she could reasonably make them.

Of course, she also has her disagreements with her superiors even if she owes them her respect, and she feels duty-bound to uphold the Nishizumi Style, even if her superiors and subordinates disagree. For the former, her solution is to impress them and convince them that she is of use to them, and her style is the best way. And when the latter disagree with her and do not prove themselves useful, Shiho deals with them most harshly.


	5. Masae 2: Aiming Higher

**Masae 2: Aiming Higher  
**

Masae continued her story from when she started doing tankery.

"My middle school tankery career progressed, and I eventually became vice-captain of the team," Masae said. "We made it to the finals, but never won the tournament. The subsequent defeats were hard on me, but I realized they always would be to some extent."

Shiho simply nodded. Those results were ones that Shiho was raised to find unacceptable, and would not accept for her daughters or herself. But those outside the Nishizumi school would likely be proud of having made it this far, and Shiho realized that if this was true she could not convince Masae otherwise.

"Were you satisfied, Instructor Atago?" Shiho said, expecting Masae to offer some form of defense.

"Not entirely," Masae said. "There were times when I felt my level of commitment far exceeded that of my teammates. More than that, I was feeling empty and unsatisfied on some levels, and I wondered why."

Masae glanced at Shiho, expecting some sort of reaction from her, but Shiho remained impassive.

_"I suppose I can't expect her to question her own path any more than I can expect a train to be able to run off its tracks," _Masae thought._ "But what about her children?"_

Masae put the question out of her mind for the moment.

"I spoke with Kumakura-sensei before I left, expressing how I felt unfulfilled." Masae said. "I didn't think as much about the conversation at the time, but in the years to come, I tended to think back to it, while trying to find an answer to the question I was posed."

* * *

_25 years ago_

Masae stepped into the office of the coach of Troika Middle School. The tournament had ended, with them having lost to Bismarck in the finals, and Masae was holding a meeting with the coach to discuss subjects relating to the team's future, including her successor as vice-captain.

"I think that's everything we need to deal with," Toshi said as the discussion concluded, her tone indicating bittersweet feelings over her student fulfilling the last of her obligations before graduating and moving on to what life had in store for her next. "You've done well as vice-captain, so you can leave the rest to me."

"Thank you, ma'am," Masae said, less than convinced.

"Is something the matter, Masae?" Toshi said. "You seem less than happy for someone who just took the team to the final round."

"I appreciate your kind words, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said. "But I have to wonder- will my successor and her teammates manage even this much again?"

"What do you mean, exactly?" Toshi said.

"I confess that I've been disappointed with… the commitment displayed by some members of my team," Masae said. "Mother told me that defeat was not necessarily a bad thing, so long as one learns from one's mistakes and keeps trying. But, to be honest, I had hoped most of the other people would try harder than this."

"I see what you mean," Toshi said. "But while I do make and enforce the rules in th hopes that my students will do their best, in the end, as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. You can't force people to try harder; I've found that if I give people an ultimatum to shape up or ship out, some start taking things more seriously, but others would decide they really don't care after all. And you can't assume that people will fight for the same reasons that you do- whatever your reason may be."

Masae paused, having trouble understanding Toshi's final statement. To her, the fact that it was not always possible to motivate people, and the fact that it was unfair to assume that they shared a common goal were self-explanatory.

"I beg your pardon, Kumakura-sensei?" Masae said. "What do you mean by 'whatever my reasons may be'? Isn't winning enough reason to persist and try hard?"

Toshi let off a slight sigh, expecting this sort of reaction from her student, but realizing that her response would be yet another question.

"That depends," Toshi said. "The question is, Masae, what _do_ you want out of tankery?"

Toshi paused as Masae gave no reply. Masae had never considered this question before. To her, tankery was a competition, and she saw it as her duty to give her all in support of the team, so that it could get as far as it could, and she believed that the team could do better. But had she ever considered why the team should do better, or what it would gain by doing so? Masae had to confess that she had not, but was unwilling to say it out loud.

"It's fine if you can't answer that just yet," Toshi said. "Perhaps going to Black Forest, and seeing whether what you're looking for is what you really want, and what happens if you keep winning, would be a good next step."

"Maybe so," Masae said. "I don't think I even undrstand your question quite yet, though, sensei."

"You will, eventually," Toshi said. "It's not something I can really show to you, but you must experience for yourself, especially since I don't have all the answers, either. Tankery is changing a great deal, especially with the advent of the new systems for declaring tanks out of the game. I feel as though I have to keep relearning in order to stay current."

"I understand, ma'am," Masae said. "You told me to keep learning even after I graduated, to keep my knowledge current, and that there were some things you couldn't teach me."

"That's true," Toshi said. "But a better way to put the latter point would be to say that there are some things that _no one_ can teach you."

"What do you mean, Kumakura-sensei?" Masae said.

"I'm mainly a teacher of _how _to do tankery rather than _why_ to do it," Toshi said. "Doing something for someone else's reasons is a bit like wearing someone else's clothing; they tend not to fit you."

Masae couldn't help but slightly chuckle as she imagined herself wearing Toshi's suit, which would likely not fit her well, as she was still growing. But she understood Toshi's metaphor, as she had spent a fair amount of time shopping for a suit to wear to her entrance interviews. The process of finding her own reasons to do tankery would likely be a long one, but it would be a necessary one, and one that she would have to go through by herself.

"Thank you for everything, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said.

"You're welcome, Masae," Toshi said, "although I don't think I did all that much. All I did today, as in the past, was inform you what decisions you had to make. It's up to you to ultimately make them, and as I'm quite proud of what you've accomplished for yourself, I'm sure you can do it. I hope to see you again some day, possibly when you've found an answer on your own."

"Goodbye, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said, as she stood up.

Masae bowed, and exited the office.

As she began the walk back to her apartment, Masae was briefly confused as she reflected on Toshi's advice. Most of the advice she had been given until now told her what to do, instead of questioning her as to what she wanted. In most case, her parents, teachers and other mentors knew what she wanted to do, or saw fit to tell her what to do.

But one thing became clear to Masae over time- that she should not ever think of herself as beyond doubt, or stop questioning herself.

* * *

_Present day_

"I didn't fully understand what Kumakura-sensei was telling me at the time," Masae said," and it ultimately took years for me to understand the significance. This sometimes happened with the lessons given while I was young, whether it's because I became more mature, because I had enough time to think it over, or because of what I experienced in the years since then."

Shiho nodded, realizing that she did not always fully realize the importance of the Nishizumi style,but believed that as the lessons sunk in over time and she became more mature, she was more able to devote herself to her family's cause.

"So, which ended up being the case, Instructor Atago?" Shiho said.

"I needed to experience it for myself," Masae said. "The time I spent at Black Forest did ultimately help me to understand what I wanted out of tankery, by showing me one part of it that I did not want."

"I feel similarly about my year at Black Forest, Instructor Atago," Miho said. "I realized that I was not suited to a strictly run and ruthlessly driven team. As a result, I made different choices at Oarai, ones that were more suited for me, as well as the team I had under my command."

"That's good to hear, Miho," Masae said. "Perhaps you realized what you needed to sooner than I did, even considering your circumstances."

"It was more that I realized I couldn't go that far in pursuit of victory," Miho said, "which was something I'd suspected for years, but didn't quite know until then. But Pravda was your alma mater, correct?" Masae nodded. "It seems like a more serious tankery school than Oarai ever was."

"I suppose a great many things are relative in tankery," Masae said. "Some would consider me a strict teacher, but I don't go quite as far as the Nishizumis do. I learned that once I started attending Black Forest."

* * *

_25 years ago._

Masae arrived at the Black Forest tankery club's assembly for the first club meeting of the year, and was amazed by how many girls there were. All of them stood there, in the tankery school uniforms, at attention, and Masae was impressed by their discipline. Clearly, she would have to perform well to keep up with the others, and was excited by the challenge.

Masae had taken the time to familiarize herself with the rules, and realized that to some, they were intimidating. Various offenses were punishable by removal from the team. It was repeatedly emphasized that team members should not take their positions for granted, and they had to continually work to improve themselves in order to stay on the team.

But Masae believed that all of those were what she had been doing, and were reasonable expectations for a tankery team. She believed that it was not too much to ask students to show up all the time, barring unforeseen circumstances. And while she believed that coaches could give students advice about where and how they should improve, the students needed to have the initiative to improve themselves.

Upon her arrival, Masae had applied for the position of a tank commander, and was pleased to get it. She had hoped to go further, and one day become vice-captain like she had been in middle school but believed that her first year was not the time- she had to get some more experience and learn about the school, as well as what she could do for it.

But as the coach stepped up to the podium, accompanied by a dark-haired girl who looked fairly young, it soon became clear that not everyone had the inclination to wait as long as she did.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to Black Forest's tankery team," the coach said. "You have become part of the national champions, and we expect you to give nothing less than your best, and perform at a level becoming of those who stand atop tankery itself. But while we ask much of you, there is also much to gain. One first-year has, through her outstanding skill and great determination, earned the right to lead us. Please welcome your new commander… Nishizumi Shiho!"

As soon as Masae heard the name, she recognized the girl with long dark hair who walked up to the podium and motioned for silence, as one of her former opponents, the one her team could never defeat. She had come away with little information about her from her previous matches with her.

Perhaps now, Masae would learn a little of what drove Shiho, and what it took to make a champion-level team. Perhaps once she learned that, she would be able to improve herself, and get closer to Shiho's level.

* * *

_Present day  
_

"I must admit that I was impressed by the quality of Black Forest's team back then, and also somewhat intimidated," Masae said. "While I was considered somewhat hard-working and successful for Troika Middle School, I had to wonder how I would measure up to the others here, and what you had that I did not. It does seem somewhat naive in retrospect."

Miho shook her head. While being burdened with standards far beyond what most people would deal with from an age far younger than most, she, too, had a great deal of admiration for Black Forest at first.

"I don't think so, Instructor Atago," Miho said. "Many of Black Forest's tankers are proud to be part of a team with that kind of record. It all comes down to whether you see membership in that team as something you've earned or something you'll have to live up to."

"Perhaps some would see that sort of admiration as naive," Shiho said, "but after some time as commander, I realized it was also convenient for me. Every single starry-eyed new recruit was another who was not questioning or second-guessing me."

"You don't find the latter type of teammate helpful, at all?" Hiroe said. "Hiroko might be my cousin, but she doesn't hold back from criticizing me or letting me know when I make a mistake. I appreciate that degree of honesty, and know that when she says something about me, she means it."

"But the two of you trust each other, do you not?" Shiho said, and Hiroe and Hiroko nodded. "The same can't be said for many of my naysayers; they may not have the qualities I expect in them, and some, rather than wanting to help me do my job better, hope they can do it instead. In order to disprove them, I had to do my best, and in order to remain a trusted leader, I had to prove that I had what it took. I didn't have any friends among my subordinates, but in the end, even my critics could say that I had fulfilled my responsibilities."

Shiho paused.

"That's all you could hope for, Mother?" Miho said. "Even if I could assert my will on my subordinates in such a way, it seems like too depressing and lonely a prospect for me."

"That was good enough for me," Shiho said. "It was what I owed to my team, what my family expected of me and my responsibility as a leader and practitioner for the Nishizumi style. Perhaps my story about my time early on at Black Forest will show all of you what being a leader means to me."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

While Masae also diverges from the Nishizumi Style, her story contrasts with Miho's in a few points. For example, her teams are, by and large, more disciplined than Oarai, and as a result, she becomes somewhat more stern and disciplinarian than Miho is, even if she's a far cry from Shiho. There's also how she meets and is influenced by different people, so the Character Analysis will now focus on one of those influences on her.

**Character Analysis: Toshi Kumakura  
**

In Saki, Toshi is a minor character who coaches the Miyamori team, helping a team of five girls who hadn't been to the Inter-high before get up to the quarter-finals. She's a kind-hearted and personable yet highly effective coach.

Toshi is a large influence on the kind of teacher and authority figure Masae hopes to be and is what Masae considers a happy medium as far as authorities go. She's friendly and personable, but also expects respect. She's willing to listen to those under her, but insists on the final word. She has high expectations for students, but doesn't go overboard or forget that what she's doing is, first and foremost, for the students' benefit. She knows that she will have to make and stand by difficult decisions, but knows she is not infallible, either.

Of course, Toshi's teaching tankery came relatively late in life, and while it eventually became her primary career, it never became an obsession for her. She realizes that many students have not always been involved in tankery, and may not necessarily stay involved in tankery. Therefore, Toshi tends to see it as a means of teaching lessons to students and becoming better individuals. This kind of perspective is one that Masae finds important, both as a student trying to find her own way of tankery, and as a teacher who hopes to teach her ways to others.


	6. Shiho 3: What Makes A Leader

**Shiho 3: What Makes A Leader  
**

As Shiho prepared to tell of her early time in Black Forest, Shiho decided to return to and focus on to one subject that she had often heard brought up. The Atagos, as well as her own daughter, Miho, did not agree with her ideal of leadership, so she decided to explain why she felt that way.

"To be honest, few really understand what it is like to be in a position of great power and responsibility," Shiho said, "although virtually everyone is willing to offer their opinions on whether those in power are doing a good job. It's like watching someone play a game and criticizing that person's moves without knowing the rules of the game."

"I will grant you that people do not always understand the responsibilities that those in authority have," Masae said, "but if nothing else, the people who complain are the ones who have to live with the consequences, and can hardly be blamed for not liking them. For example, I can't admit everyone to my school for various reasons, although I sympathize with those who are disappointed about being turned away."

"Perhaps," Shiho said, "although there are times when they make erroneous assumptions about the leaders' motives or commitment to bringing about an ideal result. Of course, I recognized that I had to prove myself, but doing so was easier with the achievements I had thus far."

* * *

_25 years ago_

Outside Black Forest's coach's office, Shiho sat, patiently and attentively, for her turn to come, along with the other candidates for the position of commander.

While she believed her accomplishments spoke for themselves, Shiho did not wish to leave anything to chance. While she believed those who relied on their conversational skills to disguise their lack of experience was like putting lipstick on a pig, she also believed that she also had to put in effort to convince those who would choose her as team commander. In spite of her pride in herself and her school, Shiho was willing to acknowledge that there were those out there who were more powerful than her, as well as her mother, and was willing to take the appropriate steps to work with them.

"Nishizumi Shiho," a voice belonging to the coach called out.

"Yes, ma'am?" Shiho said.

The coach came out to greet Shiho, and Shiho introduced herself, bowing deeply. Like a well-coordinated offensive ripping through the enemy forces, Shiho naturally knew what to do next, following the plan she had made so long ago, and doing things according to her experience. Shiho believed that because she had this knowledge, and the others did not, she was the only viable choice.

As the coach asked about the Nishizumi school, Shiho suspected that unless the coach was deliberately testing her or using it as a way of judging her character, she seemed to know relatively little about the school apart from what was common knowledge for those involved in tankery. Her responses to Shiho's question, typically a mere "Good," or "Very well," if she said anything at all before moving on to the next one- revealed little, but Shiho wondered if the coach did not understand the inner workings of the school, or the expectations the Nishizumis had placed on them.

But while Shiho realized that her family name would not do her any favors, she had no desire to benefit from it, either. It was her duty to succeed on everyone else's terms, and win over the skeptics, to fulfill the expectations of the one person whose opinion truly mattered to Shiho- her mother's.

* * *

_Present Day_

"The fine details of the interview- which went similarly to the one I had in middle school- matter little compared to the fact that in the end, I succeeded," Shiho said. "Out of all the people who applied for the position, the coach saw my track record as making up for my lack of seniority in the school. Not everyone shares the Nishizumis' standards, but good results make for compelling evidence in support of our tactics and teaching methods."

"So, Instructor Nishizumi, what kind of people were the other candidates?" Hiroko said, wondering if the competition was perhaps relatively weak compared to most years.

"To be honest, I can only guess," Shiho said. "The coach did not disclose the names of the other candidates, merely announcing the person who was chosen as commander, and privately informing those who were rejected. The only ways I would know who also applied would be their telling me themselves, or my catching word of that information some other way- an overheard conversation, someone inadvertently letting it slip, or so forth."

"So, did you see any of your rivals again?" Hiroko said.

"Yes; I saw all of them them on a daily basis, at least for the next year," Shiho said. "All of them continued with the team, even if it wasn't in the same capacity that they had hoped for. I did, however, recognize one."

* * *

_25 years ago_

During a practice session, Shiho spoke with one of her tank commanders, a third year, and laid out, in painstaking detail, all the minor flaws in her commanding and driving her tank.

Shiho remembered little about the largely one-sided conversation. The other commander remained silent for most of a lecture, save for a "Yes, ma'am," to signify that she was paying attention, and answering Shiho's questions when she was asked. There were flaws in her technique, but she was disciplined. Wherever she had come from had taught her to respect her superiors, and to only speak to her commander when spoken to.

Shiho recognized the commander's face, and knew where and when she had seen it before. When she had gone in for an interview, the other girl, having finished her own interview, had walked out of the office, given Shiho a somewhat dismissive look, and walked away without a second glance.

It was clear to Shiho that if she were not commander, the other girl would likely be telling her off for having the temerity to lecture her senpai. Even now, the girl's expression of respectful stoicism seemed forced somehow, as if she was trying to say something, but could not express it in an appropriate manner for her superior.

Shiho was well aware that many people treated her differently because she was commander. Perhaps not all of them only followed her because of her position, but the only indications that people acted differently were small ones, that they gave accidentally, so Shiho tended to assume that most people's behavior was, at least in some part, colored by her position.

Shiho concluded her lecture, asked if the girl had any further questions, and got a "No, ma'am" in the process. She thought about asking her about her true feelings on her as a leader, but thought better of it.

Part of the reason was the girl's answer would likely be colored the same way her interactions with Shiho had been, and Shiho would not be able to trust it. In spite of the fact that Shiho had little use for sycophants, she realized that many people were not interested in sharing their honest opinions with her, whether out of desire for her favor, or fear of reprisals.

Another part was Shiho's belief that the girl did not understand what was required to be in charge, or the tribulations Shiho had been through to get to where she was.

The last part was that to Shiho, only the results mattered. The girl had to do her job to Shiho's expectations, or be replaced by someone who would.

_"Of course, the same goes for me," _Shiho thought. _"I practice what I preach, so to speak, and hope that by adopting some of my methods, you will share in some of my success."_

* * *

_Present day  
_

"There were murmurs of discontent," Shiho said, "but for the most part, people did what they were told, even if they didn't like my being in command, or did not believe that it was important to uphold the honor of the Nishizumi School."

"Of course they don't understand a principle so abstract, especially when you're so insanely devoted to it," Hiroe said. "I personally find it's too hard of a sell to get people, apart from Mom's students, to do things for the sake of the Atago School at Pravda."

Masae nodded in agreement. She did, at times, wonder if she should rein Hiroe in, but concluded that Hiroe's blunt and straightforward statements were effective ways of getting straight to the point, and were the same kind of honest communication Shiho had asked for. If Shiho rationalized her decisions, Hiroe would point out how they looked to most people. If Shiho said the ends justified the means, Hiroe would remind her of the consequences those means had.

"I agree that it's presumptuous to assume that the rest of your tankery team will support your cause, Hiroe," Maho said, "and the same goes not only for my family's school, but also for my personal goals. But while Teru doesn't particularly care about- or for- the Nishizumi School's doctrine, she's still one of my most reliable subordinates."

"What Maho said is true," Shiho said, "which is why I expect obedience, rather than agreement, from those under my command. Whatever they are seeking through tankery, they can get it by winning, and it is their obligation to do everything to further our efforts toward that end."

"I suppose I can't argue with the idea of collective responsibility for the team, Instructor Nishizumi, or that it is beneficial for one's goals," Masae said. "The only question is what your definition of the former is and how far you would go to achieve the latter."

"Indeed," Shiho said. "As commander, it was my responsibility to do everything I could, and set a good example for my subordinates. Those who weren't judging me were looking to me for guidance."

"But do you necessarily provide that guidance, Instructor Nishizumi?" Kinue said. "I was under the belief that Black Forest had high expectations of those who came there, and weren't willing to hold their hands, so to speak. It makes me wonder how much those people actually learn."

Kinue left one part of her question unspoken- how much Shiho herself had learned. She recalled that Shiho had not mentioned any mentors or sources of inspiration apart from her mother, while Kinue's own mother had spoken of how Toshi had taught her a great deal about about being a tanker and a teacher. If Shiho did not have the ability to draw on other influences and challenge herself, what future did the Nishizumi school have?

"We do have high expectations, but we also recognize they have room for improvement," Shiho said, "and also believe that everyone must constantly improve to keep the team strong. And while I did not deviate from my family's style, I still had to improve my basic skills, so that I could continue to achieve the victories that were expected of me and silence the naysayers who thought I could not do so."

* * *

_25 years ago  
_

Shiho sat alone in the Black Forest commander's office, and looked over the plans for the team's training. The training schedule was grueling by most standards, having several hours of practice a week, but most knew better than to complain. They knew what they were getting into when they signed up, and realized that any complaining would likely be construed as an admission of not being able to live up to the team's standards.

Shiho did not think, even for a moment, that it meant that no one wanted to complain. She believed that for the most part, it was people keeping their complaints to themselves; she respected that much, although she respected those who were able to go along with her plans. Others preferred more private correspondence with Shiho, so they could air their concerns without worrying about their peers' reactions.

Shiho glanced at a memo sent to her by one of her commanders, a third-year. Shiho had to wonder if the writer was yet another would-be commander of the team, and wryly noted to herself that the letter read like she was already commander.

Shiho performed a mental analysis of the note, removing all of what were, in her mind, extraneous parts. After taking out the salutation and signature, the various conversational and transitional parts, the disclaimers that it was not to be construed as an assault on Shiho's authority, and the largely theoretical analysis of the team's performance, Shiho concluded that the note boiled down to one simple question- was the Nishizumi style the best for Black Forest, or might the other girl have a better idea? The writer seemed to lean toward the latter.

Black Forest had largely been a haven for the Nishizumi School's disciples, but its coaches and commanders were not always members of the school. Shiho tended to correlate the years when that was the case with the school's infrequent failures to win the championship. Perhaps the girl would understand when she saw Shiho lead her to victory, but for now, Shiho had to respond with words, rather than results.

Shiho set aside a few minutes to write up a response in kind. The student's "concerns" were "duly noted," and Shiho _was_ in the process of making "all necessary efforts to achieve optimal results for the team." She thus offered to give any further input "all the consideration it deserves."

As Shiho passed the note to the student's mailbox, she began boiling down her note, just like she had the student's, and realized that her note essentially said, "Yes, the Nishizumi Style is the best way to run the team, and unless you have anything comparable to it, keep your concerns to yourself." But she stood by her response, and hoped that the recipient would understand it.

Evidently, the recipient understood it. Shiho did not receive any more feedback from that student.

* * *

_Present day_

"The few times people spoke out, they tended to dither, or beat around the bush," Shiho said, "essentially being afraid of how I would take it or trying to sugarcoat it to hide the fact that they were challenging my authority." Shiho turned to Masae and Hiroe. "As much as I disagree with you and your elder daughter, Instructor Atago, I do respect your willingness to be open with your disagreements."

Miho pondered what her mother had said. Perhaps Shiho knew, all this time, how Miho felt about the Nishizumi style, and perhaps Miho could say what she meant without fear of reprisal, even if it was difficult to openly express disagreement with someone as imposing as her mother.

"Thank you, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said.

Hiroe nodded slightly. The one part she respected about Shiho was her honesty, but she had to wonder how much Shiho truly cared for honest communication. Few seemed willing to openly challenge Shiho, and Maho seemed more guarded and reserved about her feelings this evening than she did when talking with Hiroe, albeit not as much so as Hiroe remembered. By contrast, some of Hiroe's closest friends- including her cousin Hiroko- were the ones who were the least afraid of offending her.

"As much as I appreciate and respect your honesty, I do have a name, Instructor Nishizumi," Hiroe said, taking a more polite but firm tone with Shiho. "Since I'm probably nothing more than your long-time rival's daughter, and you're not my friend, you can call me Assistant Instructor Atago, like Mom's students, assistants and colleagues do."

Shiho nodded, while Maho and Miho looked on, surprised at Hiroe's tone. It was significantly more formal and stern than the more casual tones she took with most people, or even when she was angry with someone.

"Are you surprised?" Hiroe said. "I've had to do this a few times with some students who presumed too much familiarity with me, as has Mom. I can kind of understand Instructor Nishizumi's having to assert her authority, even if she's doing it the wrong way."

"That may be so, Assistant Instructor Atago," Shiho said, "but in the end, my results mattered most of all."

Hiroe and Masae nodded in agreement.

"Doing my utmost as head of the team not only helped my team, but also helped my standing within them," Shiho said. "If I continued winning, my subordinates would not be able to question whether it was a good idea to appoint me. And if I was strong, confident and ruthless, they would not doubt my resolve. A strong leader thus makes a strong team."

"So, am I mistaken, or can the girls at Black Forest usurp their commander's position if they think she isn't strong enough?" Hiroe said.

"I wouldn't go that far, Hiroe," Masae said, "but Instructor Nishizumi is saying that leaders who aren't confident and decisive will lose the confidence of their subordinates, thereby resulting in a team that has everything necessary to win, but isn't able to play well enough to do so."

Hiroe nodded, reminded of how she had to present a good image for herself in her first year at Pravda.

"Exactly," Shiho said. "Because Maho was not initially decisive enough, some of her troops charged ahead. By punishing those responsible, she was able to reassert her authority."

Maho frowned, not completely agreeing with Shiho's assessment of the situation, but not wanting to get sidetracked.

"I once had a similar situation, just before my match with Saunders," Miho said. "Some of my teammates wanted to go on the attack, but I wanted to be more cautious. With Hisa-senpai's encouragement, I convinced them that my way was best- I don't as often think of my role as leader as asserting my authority, but inspiring those under my command and convincing people to go along with what I do."

"That's an interesting principle, Miho," Masae said. "I will eventually get to the point where I tell you about it, but I believe Instructor Nishizumi would like to tell us more about how she leads."

"Yes," Shiho said. "I knew back then that people were whispering behind my back, suggesting it was a mistake for a first-year who was a so-called 'rookie' to become commander. I therefore insisted on being treated with respect according to my position- my subordinates were to address me as 'Commander' or 'ma'am' and follow my orders. I was also entirely business with them, and had no desire to fraternize with them. This was both to ensure that they took my position seriously, and that they realized that I was acting based on my position and not as an individual."

"I see," Masae said. "But I have noticed, Instructor Nishizumi, does anyone from Black Forest know the you that exists apart from your personas for all those roles?"

A moment of silence followed.

"…perhaps not," Shiho said, unusually somber in her reply, before resuming the cold and dispassionate tone she used when justifying her decisions. "But, at the same time, even though my decisions are often necessitated by my circumstances, in the end, I believe in them and do not regret them."

Maho solemnly nodded.

"Teru once told me something similar, Mother," Maho said. "She said that even when you don't have many choices, the decision you ultimately make does matter, and does, in fact, say something about your character."

"Indeed, Maho," Shiho said. "Everything I have done has been for the sake of my family and our school. When I had few choices, I always chose the one I believed that was best for that goal. When a decision was forced on me, I did so knowing that it was for the sake of my school. That's all."

Hiroe simply nodded. While she found many of Shiho's decisions unconscionable, she had to respect her confidence and willingness to stand by them, especially when her determination was tested in tankery battles.

So it seemed to logically follow that the next part of Shiho's story would be her saying how she had been able to defeat her enemies, and her belief that her superior experience and skill made all the difference.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

By now, you may have noticed that there's less dialogue in Shiho's POV segments. This is intentional; Shiho doesn't have any real friends at Black Forest, mainly only people she interacts with as part of the job, and she seldom talks with people about her decisions until after she's made them. As such, hardly anyone questions or challenges her ideology, so she thus has no reason to question or doubt it herself.

Regarding Shiho's sources of influence, I found one interesting entry for Fridge Brilliance on TV Tropes' Girls und Panzer Page; Miho draws inspiiration from each of her opponents to form her own way of tankery. Here, Anchovy and Kay are somewhat similar to their canon lessons (the team sharing victory and defeat, and some things being more important than victory, respectively), but Miho also has other lessons. Kei from BC Freedom teaches Miho how to persist against stronger opponents, both by attacking Miho with greater numbers, and her determination to defeat stronger schools. Mihoko from St. Gloriana reinforces Miho's belief in the value of her subordinates, and the belief that commanders should be there for their subordinates, not the other way around. By contrast, someone like Shiho may be too focused on the ideological purity of her school to draw from other sources, to her school's detiment.

The next chapter, which contains a tank battle, might be delayed somewhat while I work out some details.


	7. Shiho 4: No Second Chances

**Shiho 4: No Second Chances  
**

"Eventually, we reached the tournament for the year," Shiho said. "The tournament is a measure of how much the people of each school have learned, and how well they use it. I was determined to once again show that the Nishizumi Style was superior to all others."

The Atagos silently pondered this. They were familiar to the concept of fighting in the name of a homeland, an organization or an ideal, but still believed Shiho was going too far.

"You might be interested to hear just who we fought in the first round of the tournament, Miho," Masae said.

Miho's eyes widened as she guessed what Masae was getting at.

"Oarai Academy," Miho said.

"Precisely," Masae said. "Since I wasn't part of the 'top brass' of Black Forest in my first year, I didn't attend the drawing. As far as the commander and coach were concerned, we needed only concern ourselves with being ready to face the opponent, rather than who it was. Still, I remembered the name of my opponent, especially when it returned this year."

Shiho nodded to confirm the belief that Masae ascribed to her, but spoke to elaborate on the matter.

"To be honest, the name of the school barely registered to me, until I saw it return to tankery again years later," Shiho said. "But the story of how we, a team of strong and experienced tankers defeated these upstarts, should give you some idea of why the Nishizumis push themselves so hard."

* * *

_25 years ago_

The commanders for Black Forest and Oarai stood across from each other in a wide open field, and exchanged bows.

Much like they did in Miho's time, Oarai wore simple gray jackets over the uniform tops, a design that was simple, utilitarian and easy to produce in large quantities. Part of Shiho recognized the wisdom of such an approach, viewing practicality as the first and foremost priority. But another part had to wonder about the implications. The uniforms the students wore for the tankery team, much like the uniforms they wore to class, were symbols of their representing the school, and good appearance was a matter of pride. If Oarai skimped there, what did it say about them?

Shiho recognized Oarai's commander from the tournament drawing, even if she had not gotten the commander's name back then. After drawing her lot, and obtaining a copy of the tournament brackets and match schedule, Shiho had gone straight back to the school ship.

"My name is Saotome Junko," Oarai's commander said. "I'm a third year at Oarai and team commander. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Nishizumi Shiho," Shiho said, with the usual detached civility she displayed to most strangers. "I'm a first year at Black Forest, and team commander. It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

"From the Nishizumi school?" Junko said, her tone indicating her amazement. "You must know quite a bit about tankery to get your position right off the bat. I was essentially the only one with commanding experience since last year, so I got tapped for the job by default. As a result, I do have to wonder if I'm worthy of the responsibility, much less ready to face an opponent like your school."

Shiho looked at Junko with a pitying expression on her face. Was she the best person Oarai could come up with for the tournament? To Shiho, Junko's ignorance and lack of skill were signs of irresponsibility on her part.

But a part of Shiho decided that maybe it was for the best that Junko be left in the pool of comfortable ignorance. If she had come this far, the words of someone with a vested interest in winning against her would not deter her. And so, when Junko looked at her with an inquisitive expression, she decided to

"Ready or not, worthy or not, you are the commander, and your team is counting on you," Shiho said. "I look forward to seeing how you will do."

* * *

The battlefield for the match was a flat and sparsely wooded plain.

Black Forest's troops, most of which were Panzer IIIs and IVs, reached the more thickly wooded area and watched as Oarai's forces approached, following their commander's Panzer IV in a loose formation. The flag tank, the Porsche Tiger, was slightly off to the right side of the group, and near the rear of the pack. Among them, Shiho also recognized a StuG and pz38 (t), both tanks Black Forest had in its arsenal. She knew enough about tanks to identify the others by sight, having defeated each of them in the past.

Shiho frowned contemptuously. Following orders was necessary to become a good tanker, but it was not the only qualification. The Oarai tankers were following their orders, but not with the same discipline and efficiency as Black Forest's. In a similar sense, Shiho believed that Oarai had shown up for the match, as it was expected to do so, but its efforts were not enough to bring it victory. And even if Oarai had some potentially useful tanks, they would be worthless in the hands of the students Oarai trusted to crew them.

Black Forest's tanks emerged from the forest on Shiho's command, and began firing. Shiho imagined that to the untested Oarai tankers, the sight of a company of tanks fighting as one would be intimidating, and the sound of their guns firing in unison would be terrifying, and she was not wrong.

Shots from the initial volley struck the Panzer IV, the Cromwell, the Tas and the StuG- the vanguard of the group. The tanks could not hold up to the hits they suffered, and were disabled, raising four white flags almost in unison. Clouds of smoke rose into the sky on the sunny day, enabling people to see, even from far away, that a fierce battle was taking place.

The rest of the tanks seemed to fall into a panic over having lost so many of their stronger allies so quickly, frantically returned fire, with most of the shots missing, and a few striking ineffectively. It only served to confirm Shiho's belief that incompetent tankers were worse than useless, taking up spots that could be filled by superior tankers, and wasting the team's allotment of shells.

Shiho wondered if her opponents from Oarai, concluding that their tanks could be taken out so easily were instead throwing everything into a last ditch assault on the flag tank, which sat behind the main line of Black Forest's tanks, out of the line of fire.

The Black Forest tanks reloaded and began firing at will. Shots rang out, and the Type 89, the Pz38, and the StuG soon followed, soon after they had fired shells in futile attempts to hit the other Black Forest tanks.

Only the Chi-nu, the Porsche Tiger and the Char B1 BS remained, and started to retreat. Shiho concluded that this was an attempt to buy time or escape the hopeless situation they were in, and believed that both approaches would have the same outcome.

_"Do they really think they can still win?"_ Shiho thought. _"I'm honestly not sure, but even a fool would know that their current situation is untenable."_

But Shiho knew what the next step for Black Forest was- to pursue them and finish them off while they were still demoralized.

"All tanks, pursue the remaining Oarai forces," Shiho said.

"Yes, ma'am!" the tank commanders, including Masae, responded.

Black Forest's tanks surged forward. They were lighter than those that Oarai faced in its next match against Black Forest, and could easily catch up to the clumsily driven Oarai tanks.

The pursuing Black Forest tanks fired, knocking out the Char B1 BS and the Chi-Nu as each was struck in the back. Blasts and plumes of smoke came up, and as the tanks came to a halt, Shiho knew that they had been vanquished even before the white flags made it official.

Shiho's Panzer IV then prepared to fire on the Porsche Tiger. Shiho found it slightly anticlimactic, even as far as her matches went, and for a moment, wished that the sole surviving tank would surrender and cease its futile resistance, sparing her the token effort and drawing the match to a close.

But as Shiho's gunner aimed at the Porsche Tiger, Shiho noticed something odd. The Porsche Tiger was stopped, not trying to escape or fight back. For a moment, Shiho had to wonder- was this because they had realized both would only delay the inevitable?

As Shiho stopped and more closely examined the Porsche Tiger, Shiho saw smoke rising from its engine, and the white flag soon raised. It immediately became clear to Shiho what had happened; their engine had given out. The system for declaring tanks inoperable, a relatively new piece of technology, did not solely apply to damage inflicted by the enemy, but also to the tanks breaking down on their own. The system's designers, as well as those who had approved its use, believed that it would add an element of risk to bringing in unreliable tanks like the Porsche Tiger, would punish negligent maintenance crews and would, most of all, realistically reflect how broken down tanks were not strategic assets in real matches.

"Black Forest wins the match!" the announcer said.

Shiho sat back in her command seat, with a slight smirk of satisfaction on her face. Few opponents she had faced were as inexperienced as those that Oarai had fielded, so she believed that this match, more than any other, showed how far her training with the Nishizumi School had taken her.

Perhaps they would never reach her level, but at least they would realize that it took more than mere enthusiasm to succeed at tankery, or in other pursuits in life.

* * *

_Present day_

"Oarai failed to present any significant challenge to us that time, even with equal numbers," Shiho said. "There were few opponents they had any chance of defeating in that tournament, but they were significantly worse off than most, for several reasons."

"I suspect their leader back then was nowhere near Miho's caliber," Maho said, "especially if she was entirely reluctant, as Mother said she was."

Miho shook her head. She couldn't entirely accept her sister's analysis of why her school had won.

"I didn't want to command Oarai at first, either, Onee-chan," Miho said. "And my successes are in large part because I had so many crews willing to rise to the occasion, and do their part for the sake of the team, in spite of their inexperience. They started out as amateurs, with their fair share of mistakes, but they brought their unique skills to the table and from there, improved quickly. Perhaps their leader might have grown into the position, given the chance."

"You have a point, Miho," Maho said. "And yet, you did ultimately seem to embrace commanding, unlike your predecessor from over two decades ago."

While Maho had not seen Miho's development first hand, she knew her well as her sister, and she was well familiar with the idea of doing what was expected of her for her own reasons.

Miho nodded in response.

"I had time to get used to that," Miho said, "as well as many capable people who helped me out at crucial points."

Shiho shook her head dispassionately.

"You're luckier than most, Miho," Shiho said, "because the unfortunate reality is that tankery, like other forms of battle, does not give much opportunity for 'learning on the job', so to speak. Perhaps those Oarai crews from so long ago would have had a chance to improve, however slightly, had they been able to continue in the tournament, but their defeat marked the end of their participation for over twenty years."

* * *

_25 years ago  
_

Oarai and Black Forest stood across from each other, and bowed during the post-game ceremony.

"Thank you for the game," the commanders said.

Shiho sized up Junko. Junko's expression was clearly disappointed. Shiho had to wonder if Junko was suppressing her emotions, but realized that Junko's candor regarding her inexperience was evidence against that possibility. It seemed as though Junko, naive as she was, had expected to lose, and merely had not expected to lose as badly as she did.

Of course, in the tournament, it made no difference whether the winning team's victory was overwhelming or narrow. The outcomes of each match were final, and there were no second chances; winners advanced, and the losers had to try again next year, save for the graduating members who would not compete at that level again.

Shiho mentally concluded that when thought about in that light, the tournament was naturally a ruthless contest for the survival of the fittest. If the Nishizumi style was harsh and demanding, it was because the reality was as well, and it did not sugarcoat that reality or tell its students to make compromises. Shiho's family sought to help the students understand the nature of tankery competitions and come out on top.

As Shiho was lost in thought, Masae turned to Keiko on the way back. The two were on relatively good terms while in Black Forest, although they eventually lost contact with each other.

"They seem to be taking this hard," Masae said to Keiko, while in earshot of Shiho.

"How did they think this battle would end?" Keiko said dismissively, more of Oarai than Masae. "From what I heard, most of their team had no prior experience in tankery. Perhaps some of their tanks, like the Porsche Tiger, Tas and StuG, could have taken us out from a distance, but they didn't know how to use them well enough to accomplish that. And we were winning too decisively and too consistently for luck to have been a factor."

"I suppose you're right, Keiko," Masae said. "Not every team has a real chance at winning. But for some of them, it's enough to get out there and do their best."

Keiko scoffed.

"There hardly seems to be any meaning in doing tankery halfway," Keiko said. "I certainly hope any daughters I have will, at the very least, devote themselves more to tankery than those girls did."

Shiho, passively listening to the conversation while walking ahead of Masae and Keiko, simply nodded. She wondered if Masae was thinking of her old middle school, and getting nostalgic for its more lax attitude toward tankery, but decided that it hardly mattered. Shiho resolved that she would not make Oarai's mistake. She would give her all in the pursuit of victory, and have no tolerance for anyone who did any less.

* * *

_Present day_

"Our victory seemed to vindicate my approach to tankery," Shiho said, "especially when I heard you and Yamada Keiko discussing the outcome of the match. In the end, only results matter, and our determination prevailed against their naiveté and weakness"

"Back then, I couldn't make any arguments against it," Masae said. "But after seeing so many teams that could not hope to win, I couldn't help but think back to that over the years. It's a shame what happened to Oarai's former tankery team, though"

"We didn't hear anything from or about them since then," Shiho said. "The next year, their name was conspicuously absent from the tournament drawing, although I'm not sure if that was when their club disbanded, or whether they devolved into a non-competitive tankery club. The same was true for the next year, and the next two decades. And then, this past academic year, they returned, and you know the rest."

"It's kind of disappointing that they ran away from tankery like that," Hiroe said. "I know they weren't fighting especially well that day, but I have some respect for teams that are willing to stick it out and go down fighting, no matter how much they're outmatched, like Bosporu did in the first round against us."

"I agree with the sentiment, Hiroe, but there were other factors at play, such as budget cuts," Masae said. "Even if Oarai had the resolve, it couldn't have continued."

"So, Instructor Atago, you're saying that Oarai's program was slowly dying?" Miho said.

"I did," Masae said. "Incidentally, Miho, how much did you hear about it?"

"Not much," Miho said. "I know that the tankery program was disbanded around this time, but didn't hear much about why. My friend and vice-captain, Takei Hisa-senpai, only found the minutes of the meeting in which it was cut."

"From what I had heard, there were several factors," Masae said. "There was a lack of interest in the school, to the point at which they had difficulty fielding a full team. Due to funding cuts, they had sold off most of the tanks, save for the ten they fielded on that day- the same ten you used to win the tournament. And our defeating them so easily did not help matters. Too many students had graduated or quit in frustration, so the next year, the program was a shell of its former self that never entered the tournament, and was cut the following year."

Shiho scoffed. Clearly, if Masae or Miho hoped to elicit sympathy for the old Oarai team out of her, their hopes were in vain.

"Oarai did not put up much of a fight back then, even considering what they had," Shiho said. "They did not stand a chance in the tournament with that level of incompetence, and I do not regret crushing them so easily. The fact that their team was shut down after such a dismal showing was out of my hands."

"Mother…" Miho said. When she had heard of her school's existence being on the line, and when that knowledge became public soon afterward, most of her opponents showed heartfelt sympathy, or at least respect for their persistence, like Anzio had. Anzio's commander had also realized that Miho understood what it meant to carry the hopes of her entire team as their leader, once she had learned of the school's existence being at stake.

So why couldn't her mother acknowledge the efforts of the former Oarai commander? Miho had hoped that her mother, with all her commitment toward the Nishizumi school, could at least have some respect for her opponents.

"As harsh as what your mother just said is, Miho, she has a point," Masae said. "Not only was Oarai not performing well back then, but the unfortunate truth is every time you defeat an opponent, you crush the hopes that require victory in order to come to fruition. You've done it every time you won for Oarai. Your sister did it every time she won in the name of Black Forest and the Nishizumi School- and some of those victories were achieved with your help. Hiroe, Kinue and Hiroko did this many times to Pravda's rivals. And so did your mother and I when we were your age."

Miho nodded, conceding the point. Some of her teammates hopes would have been dashed if they had not won as much as she had. But those hopes and many other things still mattered more than victory, and were worth fighting for. Even her defeated opponents learned things, reunited with old friends and had fun in the course of the tournament. That was why she knew that while not everyone could win, tankery was not a zero-sum game, and she realized Masae and her family believed that as well.

"That's true," Maho said. "And when I fired on Kinue's flag tank in the semi-finals, I could tell that she had hopes and aspirations of her own. But for the sake of my school, and my personal desires, I could not lose, and so I ordered my crew to fire the game-winning shot."

Kinue nodded, having suspected that was how Maho felt all along.

"I can't really blame you for that, Maho, even if it didn't exactly work out for you the way you'd hoped," Hiroe said. "After all, I'd have done the same to Miho. But this is why we hope to have fun with our matches, and learn something from our defeats, so that no match is in vain."

"Indeed," Masae said. "While at Black Forest, and while finally getting the victories I had long dreamed of, I began to realize that there was more to tankery than winning or losing."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. I'd also like to thank Stalker117 and Kao Vamp for beta reading this.

Stalker117: Yes, the various interactions between characters can be interesting to write, particularly characters from the same canon who didn't interact much, or between canons (for example, Teru and Maho).

Oarai's shutting the tankery club down was said to be over 20 years ago, so I decided to approximate, In any case, this was an event I wanted to hint at sooner or later. I may eventually give you Junko's side of the story, as well as what led up to the tankery team disbanding.


	8. Masae 3: Seeds of Doubt

**Masae 3: Seeds of Doubt  
**

As the Nishizumi sisters prepared to hear Masae's story, they had to wonder why Masae would leave despite having won two championships. They found it easy to understand that those outside their family's school valued more things than winning, so the only question that remained was what

"I can think of various sayings that all point to the same concept- that wanting is better than having," Masae said. "But I would argue that you have to acquire what you want, or at least a part of it, before you can truly understand this concept."

The group nodded. They had placed their orders for their food some time ago, and, given the restaurant's reputation, were expecting a good meal.

"As you probably know by now, we won the tournament that year," Masae said. "Some of my senpais and Instructor Nishizumi, being part of a school that is expected to win, must have found my nervousness going into the finals, and excitement over our victory to be quaint at best."

Shiho remained silent, letting Masae's suggestion speak for itself.

"I think that's probably how most people would feel about their school triumphing in a nation-wide tournament, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "When Black Forest won two years ago, many of the newcomers to the team celebrated. I understood how significant and how thrilling it was for them, as it was for me the first time. One reason I strive to win is so that my teammates can experience the joy of victory."

"You may be right, Maho," Masae said. "In any case, the quarterfinals and semifinals were both significantly more difficult than the first round against Oarai, but the battles proceeded according to plan. I suspected that the finals would be more difficult, and while I was not mistaken, we were able to triumph in spite of that."

* * *

_25 years ago_

Masae's tank, a Panzer III, rolled down the streets of the urban battlefield in which the finals were taking place. St. Gloriana, their opponent, was in disarray, and while Black Forest had taken some losses, St. Gloriana's forces were thinned even further. Masae reminded herself that it was still possible for Black Forest to lose their flag tank, and with it, the game, but realized that St. Gloriana's diminished numbers had also diminished their ability to defend their flag tank or attack the enemy's.

Masae's tank took its position and intercepted the fleeing Matilda that was St. Gloriana's flag tank. As she ordered her gunner to take aim and fire on the tank, she wondered if this was actually happening, and whether St. Gloriana had one last card to play.

But the radio reports indicated that the rest of the enemy tanks were scattered, unable to come to the rescue of the flag tank. None of them would stand in her way, and there was nothing stopping the shell from Masae's tank from sailing through the air and striking the Matilda in a decisive blow that brought the tank to a halt.

The English tank could not stand up to the powerful German cannon, and a white flag popped up amid the smoke.

"Black Forest wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

Masae could hardly believe what she was hearing. Had her team just emerged triumphant in the contest of all high schools in Japan with actual tankery teams? She knew that Black Forest was in the best position to do so, but this still felt like a tremendous accomplishment, one she had previously only been able to dream of.

* * *

As the victory ceremony began, Masae stood alongside her fellow team commanders, near the front of the group of all of Black Forest's tankers, as Shiho accepted the victory flag in full view of a large live audience, and an even larger television audience. All eyes were on Masae and her school, and she had triumphed.

Masae was flush with triumph as she heard the cheers. Masae's school had triumphed over all contenders- admittedly in part because of her school, but Masae was one of the more skilled Black Forest tank commanders. She had to admit that she was honored that she was entrusted with the responsibility of fighting alongside Black Forest, and proud that she succeeded with them.

But even as the fans- among them, Masae's family and old friends- cheered, and Masae's teammates stood near her, Masae looked around and felt a fleeting sensation of loneliness. She had friends among her teammates, but she suspected that their loyalties to the team often came first, and they would go their separate ways once they graduated.

So where would she be once she did? She would likely win the next two tournaments, but what else would she take away from this experience? Was this really as far as she could go, and was there no more room for her to improve herself?

Masae quickly put the thought out of her mind, wanting to enjoy her triumph, as she parted from the group, and met with her parents and sister, who rushed over to congratulate her. It was the final destination she had reached as a result of all her efforts. She would continue striving toward greater heights, but she felt confident that if her skills had brought her this far, they would take her even further in the future.

* * *

_Present day_

"In retrospect, that was a fond memory," Masae said, "but there are many others, even as far as tankery goes, that surpass it. I didn't fully realize it at the time, though."

"You know, Mom," Hiroe said, "Now that I think about it, not many of the friends you have over for dinner are ones you know from high school, and, if I recall correctly, hardly any of them are from Black Forest."

"Quite right, Hiroe," Masae said. "I got along well with many of my schoolmates back then, but most of them never saw me as much more than an acquaintance or stranger. The few who didn't fall into that group, and didn't disapprove of my decision to leave, were the sort who I eventually lost touch with after leaving Black Forest." Masae turned to Miho. "How about you, Miho?"

"It was mostly the same," Miho said, "but I've recently gotten back in touch with some of my old friends from Black Forest. There's Akeboushi Koume-san, one of the girls I've saved. There's Morita Kuroko-san, a commander of a Jagdpanther. And there's Miyanaga Teru-san- she was my fellow vice-captain, but, without saying too much, I felt as though I didn't _really _know her until recently- and Teru-san's friend, Hirose Sumire-san."

"That's good," Masae said. "You seem somewhat more personable and better at making friends than I am. I'm not exactly like Instructor Nishizumi, but I did tend to keep a certain level of distance between myself and those I command back when I was younger, both at Black Forest and at Pravda."

"As you should," Shiho said. "In addition to being unable to afford looking indecisive or unreliable in front of your subordinates, you also cannot let your feelings sway your decisions."

"So what does that mean, putting even stricter standards on your daughters so no one can accuse you of playing favorites?" Hiroe said sarcastically. "You certainly succeeded in that regard."

Shiho remained unfazed at Hiroe's comment, while Masae sighed slightly.

"Maho and Miho have their own roles to play," Shiho said, "and in many ways, theirs are of greater importance, so they _do_ fall under greater scrutiny. Most people understand their roles in our family, and that's why almost no one would accuse me of favoritism toward my children."

"In all seriousness, though," Masae said, "for all the people who give their children promotions based on their connections rather than their merit, there are those who go too far in the opposite direction. For example, one commander I heard about tended to avoid her maternal cousin while on duty, referred to her by her last name and '-san,' like she would an acquaintance, and passed her over for a promotion to vice-captain. Some would call what she did impartial, but for years, there was a rift between the two girls."

"That's part of the reason why Hiroko and I didn't do anything of the sort," Hiroe said, "Kumakura-sensei approved my appointment of her as my vice-captain, and told us that it was up to us to decide on our mode of interaction; calling each other by our first names was less important than whether we worked well together, and we'd been together since middle school. Kumakura-sensei attended both Mom and Aunt Masaki's weddings, so she knew that we were related, so there was no point in hiding it from her."

"And I do know that it is possible for someone with no ties to the Nishizumi school to rise through the ranks at Black Forest," Masae said. "For my second year, I was appointed vice captain, having jumped at the chance to apply."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Masae's interview for the vice-captain position concluded. This time, Shiho was sitting across from Masae, considering her qualifications and judging her worth.

"I will make my decision within a week, and will let you know once I do," Shiho said.

"I understand, Commander," Masae said. "I appreciate your considering me, and look forward to hearing from you again."

"For the moment, it's just that- consideration," Shiho said firmly, which Masae saw as trying to discourage her from getting her hopes up. "Should you be chosen, it's a beginning, rather than the end. It's your responsibility to live up to the responsibility you've been entrusted, and do everything in your power to help lead the team to victory. I will ask you one more time- can I count on you to do that?"

Masae nodded. She had made it clear in the interview that she believed she had what it took to be vice-captain. She had held the position before at Troika, and she had given her all every day as a tank commander for Black Forest. Taking up the vice-captaincy seemed like yet another step, albeit not unlike what she had done in the past, so Masae felt prepared to do it.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said decisively yet respectfully.

As Masae looked for any sign of response from her interviewer, Shiho's dispassionate expression did not change. Masae suspected that Shiho had heard this same line from the other applicants, and was a person who judged others by their actions, rather than their words. But Masae also hoped that she came off as more sincere and better able to back up her claim than the others.

"Very well," Shiho said. "You are dismissed for today; I will contact you to let you know my decision."

"Thank you, Commander," Masae said, before departing. She knew the odds were long and the position was a great responsibility, but she felt prepared for them. Her tankery had improved since she had come to Black Forest, so she believed it was time to increase her involvement with the team.

* * *

_Present day_

"I confess I didn't understand the true meaning of what you asked of me back then, Instructor Nishizumi, or at least, how you defined it," Masae said. "It seems the Nishizumi standard for commitment far surpasses that of most other schools and tankery teams."

"Not everyone I choose has the kind of dedication I expect of them," Shiho said. "Over the years, I have accepted students who did not have what it takes to succeed, and I suspect, so have you. When I had Miho and Maho, I did not know for certain how they would turn out, although I saw it as my responsibility to mold them into good tankers. But in all honesty, you had actually done well thus far, and I felt confident in my choice at the time. You performed well as vice-captain, even if you were not as committed as I hoped, so I believe I made the right choice back then."

Masae nodded and, despite herself, could not help but feel touched by Shiho's approval, something Shiho rarely expressed outright.

"Thank you, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "But if I may ask, are you saying that you cannot always accurately judge someone's potential?"

"No more than most in my position," Shiho said. "I, for one, had some idea that Miho was unwilling to accept the Nishizumi style to the point at which she would rather quit than do tankery our way, but I had not predicted her deciding to resume participating in tankery at Oarai."

"...or that she'd win the tournament?" Hiroe and Hiroko said together.

"Unfortunately, no," Shiho said, "even if her inability to follow the Nishizumi way was due to a lack of determination, rather than skill."

"Speaking of those unable to do tankery the Nishizumi way..." Masae said, "around this time, my sister who, as I mentioned before, came to Black Forest to do tankery with me."

"I believe you mentioned her before, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "Is she still doing tankery?"

"Not anymore," Masae said. "She was less intensely interested in tankery, mainly getting involved because I was. She quit doing tankery after graduating from high school, having enjoyed it, but believing that she wasn't good enough to do it professionally. But that's another story."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Masaki stood before Masae, wearing the same tankery uniform as Masae. Unlike other schools, Black Forest's school and tankery uniforms remained largely unchanged over the years. They were seen as a traditional part of the school and a part of its identity, in a sense, and the school was hesitant to change them, lest they compromise their identity.

When Masae had overseen the entrance ceremony, she recognized her sister among all the newcomers. The sisters had briefly made eye contact, but Masaki had not waved to or called out to Masae, nor had Masae otherwise acknowledged Masaki's presence, since both had their jobs to do.

After the ceremony, Masae approached Masaki in private to talk with her, both to do so away from her subordinates, and for the sake of having a private discussion between sisters.

"So you did end up joining the team after all, Masaki," Masae said. While she had talked about it with Masaki in the months leading up to her arrival at Black Forest, it was something else entirely to actually see her there, and Masae was unsure of how she should feel.

"Is something the matter, Nee-san?" Masaki said. "I'd expected you to be a little happier about us doing tankery together, just like old times at middle school."

"Nothing in particular," Masae said evasively. "But it's not quite like old times, in a sense. Black Forest is a higher-ranked school than our middle school and is more... serious about tankery, in some ways."

"How so, Nee-san?" Masaki said.

"For one, you should probably be calling me 'Vice-captain,' even if we are sisters," Masae said. "It's a matter of professionalism, as well as respect for the team's leadership."

"I'm sorry, Vice-captain," Masaki said. Masae noticed a touch of shame in her sister's voice, as if she were off to a bad start already. But there also seemed to be sadness. Masaki and Masae did many of the same things together, but was Masae now expected to keep her own sister at a distance?

"Well, to clarify, I won't make you do it when we're alone," Masae said, "since I'm only going along with the rule, there's no one around to judge us and we aren't acting on official business. But I mainly brought it up as an example of one of the more obvious and simpler things you'll have to do here that you didn't before."

"What do you mean, Nee-san?" Masaki said.

"Black Forest is a team that is, above all else, willing to do whatever it takes to win," Masae said. "Its leaders are supposed to set strong examples for the rest, but even the subordinates must also do their part. Knowing all this, are you prepared to commit yourself to the team and give your all?"

"I am," Masaki said.

Masae nodded, believing her sister. Masaki was serious, honest, and committed to giving her all in her endeavors. She hoped that kind of determination was what Shiho was looking for, or at least could respect to a certain degree.

But Masae realized that while her sister was her usual self, she herself was starting to sound like Shiho. Perhaps she was explaining the harsher and more disciplinarian atmosphere of Black Forest, but did that mean she had accepted it? Could her sister perform well in such an environment? Masae was no longer sure about either.

_"I do know one thing," _Masae thought, _"Commander Nishizumi wouldn't dwell on such thoughts. Maybe that's not the only difference between us. Maybe, when it comes down to it, I can't lead the same way she does."_

* * *

_Present day_

"It sounds like things were different for you , in some senses, Instructor Atago," Maho said.

"That's right," Masae said. "We both had positions of responsibility in the team, and had to balance our relationships with our younger sisters with our responsibilities. Of course, for my sister and I, it was something relatively new."

"Because you hadn't competed in such a high-pressure environment before?" Maho said.

"Exactly, Maho," Masae said. "A part of me was unsure whether she was making the right decision, but I was glad to have her around."

"Because you thought that she wouldn't be happy there?" Maho said. "I sometimes had to wonder that about Miho while both of us were at Black Forest, but I did also feel the same way about having her around."

"Well, yes," Masae said. "But in her case, it was because I, too, was also coming to question my decision, and I could not, in good conscience, recommend a course of action to someone else if I was not sure of it myself. Now that I think about it, I was in denial over Black Forest's less pleasant aspects. In my second year, I had to come to terms with this reality."

Shiho nodded.

"Black Forest did not change, Instructor Atago, and in hindsight, I don't believe you or I did, either," Shiho said. "The only things that happened were the ongoing struggle to uphold our winning streak, my choosing to do what I must to continue it, and your deciding that it was too much for you."

"That's quite harsh, Instructor Nishizumi," Kinue said.

"It's a necessary part of keeping up a record of success," Shiho said. "In order to achieve victory, you must settle for nothing less than the best and only work with those who share your determination. Such was the case when I was commander for Black Forest, and such is the case as head of my family's school."

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

As always, reviews, favorites and follows are appreciated.

I suspect that Maho missed having Miho around, even if she understood Miho's reasons for leaving Black Forest, and hoped Miho would find her own way of tankery.


	9. Shiho 5:Without Resting On Their Laurels

**Chapter 8 Shiho 5: Without Resting On Their Laurels  
**

The topic shifted back to Shiho's leadership of Black Forest. Those at the table knew that there was no better high school than Black Forest to prepare one for the rigorous demands of leading a school devoted to achieving perfection.

"One of the most difficult parts of being commander of a team with a winning streak, or carrying on a school's tradition of winning without fail is keeping up the record over the years," Shiho said. "It requires tireless efforts and does not allow one to become complacent or relax one's standards."

"Perhaps that is true," Masae said, "even if I think your school has not adequately adjusted itself for the times."

"I don't see it as a matter of change, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "Many of the decisions that I am referring to, such as leading well, separating the strong links from the weak ones, and so forth, are ones that are done on an almost daily basis, or a yearly one, even if tankery remains static and unchanging. For example, after winning a tournament, an influx of new recruits will arrive, some of whom are quite promising, while others want to ride our coattails to victory. Telling the difference between the two is crucial for both the commander of Black Forest and the head of the Nishizumi school."

* * *

_24 years ago  
_

Shiho pored over the large stack of applications for spots on the tankery team. The vast majority were new first-years, while some were people who had only become interested in tankery in the middle of their high school careers.

Shiho was fully aware that her application for the position of commander was once a piece of paper in a large stack, but did not think for a moment that she was like one of those new recruits who talked at length about their interest in tankery, but could say little about their skill.

Shiho started off by sorting them into piles based on their desired position, then started making piles for those who actually had experience in each position. Even after that reduction, there were still far more applications than there were open positions.

So Shiho then got down to her main task, designating each application as one of three categories- those who were ready to be part of the main team, those who would be viable backups, and those who needed significant training before they could represent Black Forest in any fashion.

A little less than an hour later, Shiho had sorted the applications into three piles, and prepared to share her findings with the coach. She realized that she would be merely discussing the possibility of including the people from the first pile.

Shiho found the task difficult, but only in terms of the amount of time needed to sort and process all those applications; she prided herself on her ability to make such decisions wisely and dispassionately. Shiho believed that only those with the skill to be part of the champions should apply; those who did not could settle for a lesser school, saving her from wasting her time, and sparing them the disappointment. Only a few would have the honor of representing Black Forest in the tournament, so all Shiho could do was select those who were most deserving.

Perhaps people would question Shiho, but she resolved to show anyone who believed they had been unfairly rejected a recording of the team's victories in the tournament. It would serve as proof of how high Black Forest's ambitions were, and the level at which it expected its tankers to perform.

* * *

_Present day_

"I actually did see and vaguely remember your sister's name among all those applications, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "Atago Masaki, was it?"

"That was her maiden name, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "After marrying, she took on the name Funakubo, as did her daughter, Hiroko."

"After some discussion, the coach and I determined that she was a possibly viable recruit," Shiho said. "So I did give her a chance, at least."

Masae simply nodded. The opportunity to discuss that matter would come fairly soon, but she chose to hear Shiho out.

"Of course, even if the new recruits met your standards, that didn't necessarily mean they were entirely ready to fight for Black Forest," Masae said.

"That's correct," Shiho said. "Naturally, training them was my duty then, as it is my duty now. But that does not include coddling those who fall behind, or taking in those unprepared at the most basic level."

* * *

_24 years ago._

Black Forest's teams practiced in the fields, doing a variety of drills meant to both improve and gauge their performance in actual battles.

Shiho, overseeing the practice, looked over her notes, and wrote up a list of names, before handing it to the coach.

"These students are not performing to standards," Shiho said. "I would like to see them in my office, and inform them that they are being dropped from the team."

"Some of them won't like it," the coach said flatly. Shiho knew that the coach had made such decisions in the past, but also knew that the coach liked playing devil's advocate, and warning Shiho not to make her decisions lightly.

"I did make my standards clear to them in the beginning, Coach," Shiho said, "just like they are in the handbook for the tankery team."

Apart from the Nishizumi doctrine, Shiho tended to cite the team rules. They tended to stay the same for long periods of time, and were absolute and inflexible. The students who joined the team had to abide by them, and the decisions made by those enforcing them were final. The students had a limited ability to appeal, but only if disciplinary procedure had not been properly followed, which was a very rare occurrence.

Shiho's coach was not a member of the Nishizumi school, but Shiho believed she understood the value of fair and easily understandable standards, and how important it was for her team to win. They did not share an ideology, but they shared a goal, and Shiho hoped that her methods would lead to the desired results for both of them.

* * *

_Present day_

"In the end, the Nishizumis believe that tankers trained under our rigorous standards will be the best possible asset for their tankery teams, or in whatever future endeavors they choose to go into," Shiho said. "There is no greater justification for why we do the things we do."

"And what about those who wash out, Instructor Nishizumi?" Hiroko said. "They won't be learning any additional lessons from you, and it's possible they will likely be too embittered to learn what you hope they will learn."

"They were told what we expected of them," Shiho said flatly. "And with the statements before them laid out so clearly, they cannot easily dispute that they fell short of our expectations."

Hiroko, at a loss for how to respond, looked to her aunt, but Masae shook her head, conceding Shiho's point.

"I understand what you're saying," Masae said. "When I have to enforce the rules, it's easier to speak in terms of concrete and indisputable standards; you know the people in question did something wrong, leaving the question of how to deal with them, which is usually also written in the rules. But I've often found that it's easy to hide behind an absolute principle, and use it to self-righteously justify one's actions, even if it's a justification made up after the fact, when people come before you to demand an explanation."

Shiho, having heard Masae's comment, had some idea of what she was referring to.

"You were referring to that time we met in the office, Instructor Atago?" Shiho said.

"Among other things," Masae said. "But make no mistake, Instructor Nishizumi, your decision back then bothered me less than how you arrived at it. So before I share my perspective, I would like to hear more about your decisions."

Shiho reluctantly nodded.

"Agreed, but what makes you think my answer will be any different?" Shiho said.

"The fact that my question is," Masae said. "Before, I asked you to explain one decision. Now, I would like you to share your perspective that guides all of them."

Shiho pondered Masae's question.

"I understand," Shiho said. "What I'm about to say is likely what you already know, but bear with me, as it leads up to my point, and is for the benefit of those who have not gone to Black Forest- everyone except the two of us and my daughters."

Masae nodded.

"Black Forest has always been blessed with a large quantity of tankery students, many of whom meet, if not exceed, our expectations," Shiho said. "It thus stands to reason that, with so many people applying and not everyone able to get a position on the active team, you would choose only the best, and keep them around so long as they remain useful to you."

"Perhaps, Instructor Nishizumi," Hiroko said. "Hiroe and I have made our share of difficult decisions regarding the team lineup at Pravda, relegating many talented, hard-working and enthusiastic people to the bench. Those decisions, however, have been made all the more difficult by the fact that it's not easy to quantify people's talents or potential."

"It never is," Shiho said. "You simply need to find a valid approach to understand the information and know what to look for."

"That's not entirely it," Hiroko said. "I'm something of an enthusiast for collecting and analyzing data, but I know people aren't numbers. Kinue's initially subpar standing in the team did not show her enthusiasm and good sportsmanship. By contrast, one of our better performers in our first year had a notable unpleasant streak that reared its ugly head when Hiroe and I weren't around."

"That's where the interview comes in," Shiho said. "When I chose my vice-captain, I looked at twelve applications among those with the minimal qualifications, and called in four people for interviews. I then selected Instructor Atago as my vice-captain for our second year."

Hiroe gave Shiho a skeptical glance, still finding it hard to believe that Shiho had ever given someone like her mother such an important position.

"There were a few factors in her favor," Shiho said. "She had more experience than most of the team, including being a team commander. She was remarkably committed to improving herself. She had performed well in battles. All this was not unlike the reason I suggested that Maho make Miho her vice captain."

"But I had to clear the decision with the coach, first, and give the other candidates a fair review," Maho said. "I do have my responsibilities to the school, and chose Miho because not only did I trust her, but I did honestly find her to be the best candidate, even considering what happened in the finals last year, and _especially_ considering her victory this year."

"I appreciate hearing that, Onee-chan," Miho said. "But it still felt a little hard to lead, with everyone looking up to you. Did you ever feel that way, Instructor Atago?"

Masae sighed, realizing that the honest answer would not be entirely comforting to Miho.

"Not exactly," Masae said. "There have been times when I doubted myself, but I do generally consider myself well-suited to lead. But in all fairness, I don't think my leadership style would be as compatible with Oarai as yours would be."

Kinue nodded.

"Giving orders comes naturally to Mom and my sister," she said. "I suppose a large part of that is saying what needs to be done and being willing to stand by it."

"I suppose so," Miho said. "I don't think I'm infallible, though, or that those under my command are necessarily wrong."

"Not all of your subordinates will be so charitable when you are doubtful, Miho," Shiho said. "Incidentally, how did you choose your new vice-captain?"

"I approached Nodoka-san, one of my few subordinates with prior commanding experience, and asked her about it," Miho said. "She seemed willing to take the position after some convincing, and agreed to my request to become the vice-captain; no one else volunteered."

"I see," Shiho said. "So I assume no one is unhappy with your decision, at least not openly so." Miho nodded. "I had to tell several willing and able individuals that I had chosen someone else as my vice captain- namely, Instructor Atago, and defend my decision if necessary."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Shiho finished typing up the last of her rejection letters, and stuffed them in the mailboxes of the candidates she had passed over. In the days before e-mail, she could not simply copy and paste one message into the body of another, or send a mass mailing out, but had to type up and print out each of the letters on the computer.

Shiho had long since prepared herself for the task of rejecting others, and knew that she had to select the one application that stood above all the others. She hoped the others had sent in their applications with the honest and justified belief that they could do the job, but the realization that they would likely not be chosen.

Shiho then put in a letter to the one candidate she had chosen- Atago Masae.

"You wanted to see me, commander?" Masae said as she reported in to Shiho's office.

"Yes, have a seat,"Shiho said. "I have chosen you as my vice-captain for the next year."

"Thank you, ma'am," Masae said.

Shiho gauged Masae's reactions. Masae appeared fully pleased that she had gotten the position, but wondered why Shiho did not congratulate her.

"You realize that there were many others who were passed over in favor of you," Shiho said, her tone indicating that this statement should go without saying at Black Forest, and was a prelude to her actual point. "All of them professed a commitment to be the vice-captain Black Forest needed, and I found your statement to be more believable than theirs. So to repay me, prove my belief right."

"I won't let you down, Commander," Masae said.

Shiho simply nodded. She realized talk was cheap, and Masae's commitment would be tested through the next year. But while Shiho could not predict the future, she could make decisions that would be in the best interests of the team.

* * *

_Present day  
_

"Now that I think about it..." Masae said, "I think that this time, above all others, was when I saw the real you, and saw you expressing as much of yourself as you could."

"Every time I make a decision as commander, I essentially stake my reputation, as well as that of my family's school and the organizations to which I belong, on it having a positive outcome," Shiho said. "It's obviously best for all concerned if I do succeed, which is a large part of why I am willing to do anything necessary to win. But even if many people are expecting me to do what I do, it's also _my choice_ to do so"

"I understand what you are saying, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said, "just as I did back then. The only thing I didn't understand was whether victory was that dominant a priority for you"

"Isn't winning all the reason one needs?" Shiho said. "Or do you not agree?" She already knew Masae's answer, but wanted to hear her explanation.

"I once thought that," Masae said. "But after what happened in my second year, I began to question myself. Even if you entrusted me with the position of vice captain, I felt as though I had more in common with those who would be dismissed as second-rate than I did with you."

Miho nodded, finding Masae's story familiar in some regards. Some said Miho had been forced out of Black Forest, but Miho saw her decision to leave as much her choice as her decision to save the tank; one she made in spite of the opposition to it. She was thus curious what sort of opposition the seemingly more confident Masae had faced, if any at all.

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.


	10. Masae 4: A Question of Commitment

**Masae 4: A Question of Commitment  
**

Masae then moved on to what she realized would be one of the more difficult subjects in her story. She wanted to make it clear that this was not an accusation against Shiho, but her stating her point of view.

"I would like to reiterate and clarify a few things before I start, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "There was no one reason, person or event that caused me to leave Black Forest."

"Perhaps not," Shiho said. "People have good reasons and bad ones for leaving, but if they're not able to do what we need them to do, we don't need them on the team."

"Why not just tell Instructor Nishizumi the story, and let her draw her own conclusions, Aunt Masae?" Hiroko said.

Masae nodded. While her niece was not quite as blunt as her elder daughter, Masae knew that Hiroko was somewhat outspoken by nature, and she had no real desire for Shiho's approval. Perhaps it would be best to let her account speak for itself.

"We should start when my doubt became more than a mere nagging feeling," Masae said. "But before that, let's talk about my sister. As a tanker, she was more skilled than most, but had more difficulty measuring up to Black Forest or the Nishizumi school's standards. She was not especially inherently talented, but she was hard-working, reliable and had good character."

Shiho nodded. Masae, her sister absent, hoped Masaki's daughter would be able to say more.

"For Mom, participating in tankery was about being near Aunt Masae and helping her out," Hiroko said, "which is why she did tankery alongside her older sister in middle and high school. Perhaps Black Forest doesn't think much of such a motivation, but it was enough for her to press on, and it's not very different from why I do tankery with my cousins."

"Hiroko put it quite nicely, as might be expected of Masaki's daughter," Masae said. "My sister is one of the kindest people I have ever known, as well as steadfast and dependable. The Atago School is meant to include people like her, and also to recognize that, like Masaki, people can learn valuable lessons through tankery even if they're not the most successful at it; one of the first honorary graduates was a Pravda student who had an extremely positive and helpful attitude despite never making the main team."

"That's all well and good, but those are not the traits we judge tankers by," Shiho said. "Black Forest and the Nishizumi school do not only require their tankers to give their all, but to reliably achieve victory through those efforts."

"That may be so, Instructor Nishizumi, but I had thought that my sister was, at the very least, keeping up with the rest," Masae said. "She did her best, both for its own sake, and so that no one would suspect that she was on the team as a favor to me, and both of us thought that was enough. This belief was shattered one day, after practice, when my sister announced that she had been demoted to the bench."

* * *

_23 years ago_

Masae waited outside the Black Forest tankery commander's office. While she and Masaki usually walked home together, Masaki had told her that she had a meeting with the commander. Masae, while curious as to why she was not included, waited outside. After five minutes, Masaki came out.

"So what did the Commander want to see you about, Masaki?" Masae said.

"Nee-san…" Masaki said, blinking back tears, "I've been cut from the regular team, effective immediately."

"Just like that?" Masae said. Masaki nodded.

"The Commander told me about it just now," Masaki said. "She honestly didn't have much more to say than that; it seemed as though she'd made her decision. As such, I didn't have anything to say to that."

"Perhaps_ I_ might," Masae said. "I'm going to have a talk with the commander."

"For my sake?" Masaki said, incredulous. "I… don't want you to make waves for me, especially considering your position."

"That's not the only reason, Masaki," Masae said. "It seems less than fair to treat you like that; you earned your spot on the team, and did well enough to keep it, especially when we're still winning handily. And I'm also curious about just how far the Commander will go."

"I see," Masaki said. "But Nee-san, are you prepared for the possibility that the answers you get might not be the answers you want to hear?"

Masae sighed.

"That's a possibility," Masae said. "But it's also possible that I've known them all along and didn't want to acknowledge them. In any case, not acknowledging them doesn't mean that they're not true, and the time has come to find out."

"I understand," Masaki said. "Well, then, Nee-san, I hope you can find those answers when you meet with the Commander."

"Thank you, Masaki; I'll see you back at our room when I'm done," Masae said, and walked back toward the commander's office.

* * *

_Present day_

"The more sentimental part of me was unhappy about my sister being treated in such a way," Masae said. "And the more logical part of me wondered what sort of future the team had if its commander seemingly made judgments like that on a whim, or at the very least, refused to explain her reasons for those decisions."

Masae then turned directly to Shiho.

"Instructor Nishizumi, do you remember the meeting you had with my sister?" Masae said.

"Unfortunately, no," Shiho said. "I do remember that she was on the team, but I spoke with several different people that day, and gave them all more or less the same speech- a short, brief one that said they were no longer on the team, and the only way they could return was by earning the privilege. I remember little else beyond the fact that your sister was removed from the main team."

Masae sighed, knowing the answer was more plausible than she had hoped. Of all the students who had come through the Atago School over the years, she could only remember a handful of names without looking them up.

"As much as I had hoped otherwise, I suppose that was to be expected," Masae said. "You make such decisions frequently, so I suppose that it was too much to expect you to remember a specific one."

"I suspect that you do, as well," Shiho said, considering pulling up the graduation rate for the Atago School, which was significantly higher than the Nishizumi School, but not at 100 percent.

"That's true, and I am often asked to explain myself," Masae said. "I can't remember everyone who's been affected in such a way by my decisions, but I can strive to treat them fairly."

Shiiho nodded.

"That's why I never truly expected you to give me a better answer than you did back then," Masae said. "I can, however, express what i was feeling back then, but was hesitant to do so out of fear of reprisal."

"Then let's hear it," Shiho said, "although I suspect that whatever you say now will only confirm what I suspected back then; that you and I were at cross-purposes."

* * *

_23 years ago_

Masae walked into the commander's office, where Shiho was seated at her desk.

"Commander?" Masae said, standing at attention. "Do you have a minute?"

"State your business, Vice-captain," Shiho said. She was willing to speak with her vice captain regarding matters relating to the team, but was quite busy and hoped Masae would get to the point.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said. "I would like to speak with you about the changes made to the team roster."

"Very well, speak," Shiho said, "But know that they have already been finalized and approved by the coach, so unless something happens, I will not make any changes."

Masae let off a faint sigh, realizing that the meeting was not off to a good start.

"The first issue I have is the fact that I was not consulted at any point," Masae said. "Part of my responsibilities are advising the Commander on any changes to the roster."

"And yet, the Commander is not required to follow the Vice-Captain's counsel, nor is she required to even hear it," Shiho said. "I needed unbiased advice for this- you should know why you were not consulted if your second issue is what I believe it to be."

"I understand what you're saying, and your assumption is correct, Commander," Masae said, "but Masaki did not receive any warnings before she was dropped from the regular team, nor any advice as to where she needed to improve. In spite of my being less than fully impartial, I believe that the decision was too hastily made."

"Every member of the team is replaceable, and should not take their spot for granted," Shiho said. "Your sister was always one of the lower performers on the main team, and should not have needed a warning to better herself."

Masae realized that she and Shiho were arguing in circles, so long as Shiho kept maintaining that victory mattered above all else.

"Is victory truly the be-all and end-all, Commander?" Masae said. "Is it worth so much more than fun, comradeship and one's personal growth?"

"Yes," Shiho said. "Whatever one fights for, it can be achieved by winning. And there is no compelling reason to give less than your full efforts to the team, lest you cheat yourself and your comrades out of the chance to achieve your respective goals."

Masae slowly shook her head, but remained silent, unsure of how she could respond to that. Back then, she was not a teacher, but a girl who was still learning about tankery. She had to wonder- was the Nishizumi way the "true" way to do tankery? Clearly, many people did not think so. But what, then, should she do? What should she believe in?

However, it was obvious to Masae what Shiho wanted her to believe, as well as the fact that she knew Masae did not accept what she was saying.

"I do not expect you to agree with me, Vice-captain," Shiho continued. "I only expect you to do whatever is necessary to win. If you don't… then I can simply find someone who will."

Mindful of her position, and the fact that her sister did not want her to risk herself for her sake, Masae relented, rather than fight a battle with Shiho without knowing why she was truly fighting.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said. "I understand what you expect of me, and as such, have no more questions."

"Then you are dismissed," Shiho said, her tone more suited to giving an order than granting permission.

As Masae took her leave, she realized that she had not merely said yes as a means of politely accepting Shiho's point, but had subconsciously said it in response to Shiho's suggestion. Clearly, Shiho saw the entire issue as a question of commitment, and having found Masaki lacking, wanted to see whether the same went for Masae. Perhaps Masae could remain in Shiho's good graces, but did she want to?

Masae still remembered the day when she submitted her resignation letter, but saw this day as the beginning of the end of her time in Black Forest's tankery team.

* * *

_Present day_

"I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't get you to change your mind," Masae said. "But I wanted answers, and was disappointed with the answers that I got."

"You're not the only one to feel this way, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "But the Nishizumi school does not seek to please everyone, and neither should you."

"Not everyone agrees with my decisions," Hiroe said. "But I think when they ask me about them, they usually come away understanding why I did what I did."

"That's true," Masae said. "I was somewhat disillusioned at the time, although I tried to push it out of my mind, now that I was on a successful team. But seeing that victory mattered above all else, and realizing that it was not what was most important for me, I began to question myself, and ask whether I should continue."

_"And you ultimately didn't"_ was the conclusion the three Nishizumis at the table reached, in their own way. But Masae's daughters and niece knew that it had not happened immediately.

"I then turned to my sister," Masae said. "People who know the two of us say I'm the more confident sister, but it's because whenever I doubt myself or feel burdened by despair, I can talk to Masaki, who's a good listener, kind and supportive. When I'm around her, I don't have to worry about how I come across."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Masae met with Masaki in their shared apartment, and told her what had happened.

"Thank you for talking to the commander, Nee-san," Masaki said. "But you needn't go any farther on my account. I have no desire to cause you trouble or drive a wedge between you and the commander. It's quite impressive that you managed to become vice-captain at a school like this, and I hope you'll be able to continue."

"I appreciate your concern, Masaki," Masae said. "But that's not why I am troubled. The commander made it clear that victory was something she valued above everything else. Dismissing you, while unfair to both of us, is perhaps a small sacrifice to her; she considers all of us expendable, and our feelings to have no weight. And no one is willing to openly say anything to the contrary; even the rest of our friends are unwilling to criticize the Commander."

"Is this not what you wanted, when you searched for a team that tried harder in pursuit of victory?" Masaki said.

Masae paused, slightly taken aback by her sister's question. While Masaki was typically polite and respectful to her older sister, she had, largely unwittingly, asked an uncomfortable question. Masae was at Black Forest because she had chosen to be there, but she was starting to regret that choice.

"Maybe it _was_ what I was _looking for,_ and as Kumakura-sensei said, it's not quite what I truly wanted," Masae said. "But you do have a good question. Why _am_ I in tankery? What _am_ I hoping to accomplish?"

"I really can't tell you, Nee-san," Masaki said. "I only got involved in tankery because you did. After all, Mother said you can't dictate to people the reasons why they should do something."

"That may be true," Masae said. "But all the same, it seems as though our teammates in Black Forest, or at least the commander, don't seem willing to help us find out. The commander made it clear that we had to give our all without asking why, to sacrifice our individual ambitions for the sake of the collective goal. That principle's understandable, but doing it on this level is going too far."

"I imagine the Commander had to do so in the past," Masaki said, "or at least, many of her family's students did."

"That's possible, Masaki, but in any event, we're not like them," Masae said. "The person I'm closest to personally is probably my classmate Midori, who could only represent us in the tournament if every single commander in the team were unable to compete."

"Ah, yes, Aoyama-senpai," Masaki said. "But you do realize, don't you, Nee-san? If you leave school, you'll leave her and all your other friends behind. And, since I'd follow you, so would I."

Masae solemnly nodded. Midori, despite her low standing on the team, had no plans on leaving Black Forest. Neither did the more ambitious and skilled Keiko, who had competed with Masae and the others for the position of vice-captain. If Masae switched schools, she would spend the latter half of her high school career among a school full of strangers, unsure of how well she would fit in there, how good the school would be, or how much she would enjoy it.

"Yes, Masaki, I am aware," Masae said. "It's not such an easy thing to take up roots and go to a place you know next to nothing about. Still, I may soon get to the point at which any place would seem better than here."

"Perhaps that doesn't have to be the case, Nee-san," Masaki said. "Perhaps there are still things you can do, here at Black Forest."

"Like what?" Masae said.

Masae simply shrugged.

"To be honest, I don't know," Masaki said. "But I, for one, plan to do my best to see if I can re-earn my position on the team, regardless of whether the Commander is fickle, overly strict, or both. You still have your position, so perhaps there is something you can do- at the very least, you owe it to yourself to try. Perhaps you can change the tankery team yourself, making it a team that is more inclusive and fairer, but no less able to win."

Masae nodded, agreeing more with the general principle of what her sister was saying than her specific advice. Rather than run away, there was still something she could do.

"I suppose so," Masae said.

Masaki placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and looked her in the eye.

"Remember Nee-san," Masaki said, "you earned the position of vice-captain of Black Forest, as well as Troika. Last year, everyone was talking about how much they missed you, and how much you had contributed to the team. I'm sure you can think of something."

"Thank you, Masaki," Masae said, touched by Masaki's words but unsure of what she should do or why she should continue.

* * *

_Present day_

"That evening, I considered writing up a letter of resignation, but never ended up writing it," Masae said, "because every time I thought about the part in which I had to say _why_ I was leaving, I couldn't quite put it into words."

Shiho merely nodded, unsurprised by Masae making clear what she had implied all those years ago.

"So why didn't you resign?" Shiho said. "Or better said, why didn't you resign _at that time_?"

"A few reasons," Masae said. "The first reason was because I still found tankery fun, even if I had grown disillusioned with Black Forest. The second reason was because I still believed I could make a difference, or at least, was hesitant about leaving behind my old school. The third reason was that I felt that giving up on the team would essentially be a betrayal of my sister's faith in me."

Miho nodded. Having come to reconnect with a few of her old friends at Black Forest, she realized that she missed them. And, even before that, she realized that tankery was fun, even if her mother's expectations were almost unbearable.

"Incidentally, Instructor Atago," Miho said, "I, too, had some reservations about leaving my friends and my sister behind. So what happened? Why did you ultimately leave Black Forest if you had your own misgivings about leaving the team?"

"You could call it circumstances beyond my control," Masae said, "and, I may add, not necessarily unwelcome ones, at that. Much like you, it took leaving my school to find my own way of tankery."

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Japan seems to favor collectivism over individualism, and one can see the difference between Miho and Shiho as a matter of their interpretations of it. Miho could be considered the "light" side of this, being selfless, valuing cooperation and seeing her success in the tournament as a matter of everyone working together to a common end, without sacrificing their individuality or personal desires. Shiho could be considered the "dark" side of this principle, demanding sacrifice in the name of victory, conforming to the style, and believing individuals are subservient to the greater good.

For the chapter titles from here on out, you may see references to certain passages in the text that fit the story of the chapter, a trend somewhat inspired by Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

**Character Analysis: Masaki Funakubo**

If Masae sees her eldest daughter as a shining example of a strong and committed Atago style practitioner, she sees her younger sister as an example of a less dedicated but still acceptable person, one who would be a failure in the Nishizumis' eyes, but a success in hers.

Masaki never possessed her older sister's acumen for tank combat or leadership, nor did she have much desire to continue in it after graduating, even if Masae believes, possibly correctly, that Shiho was wrong to cut her from the team. But she believes that even if she was ultimately mediocre by most standards, and a failure to the Nishizumis, she benefited from her time in tankery.

Masaki wants to help her sister how she can, even if she realizes that she can't do much as far as tankery goes. She doesn't know enough to teach tankery, but she can look after Hiroe or Kinue if Masaki is busy. She didn't take the same marketing classes that her sister did, but she can put in a good word for the Atago School to any friends who might be interested in teaching their daughters tankery. Above all else, she's good at giving emotional support to Masae, allowing her usually confident older sister to voice doubt and vulnerability.

The fact that Masaki is judged as a success by the Atago school and a failure by the Nishizumi school gives some indication of how the schools differ, and how Masae differs from Shiho. Masae believes that even if Masaki was less than stellar, her time in tankery was not in vain, and that it has helped he become a good woman, a loving wife and a kind mother, in addition to being Masae's beloved younger sister.


	11. Masae 5: Choices And Circumstances

**Chapter 10 Masae 5: Choices And Circumstances  
**

As Masae prepared to tell the next part of the story, she had a nagging feeling she had forgotten to tell the others about something relevant.

"Hey, Mom," Hiroe said. "I don't think you mentioned Grandpa's job yet."

"Ah, I'm sorry," Masae said. "It wasn't relevant until this point, and still is largely an incidental detail, but around this time, my father got a promotion at work, and was sent to the Hokkaido branch of the company. My parents decided it would be best for my sister and I to switch schools. In theory, we could have stayed at our old school, but Mother thought it would be better for us to go to a school with a home port closer to where we lived."

"So did you?" Miho said, remembering the time she had defied Shiho to transfer to Oarai. One of the theories Saori once had about why she had switched schools was one of her parents getting a transfer at work.

"My family expected us to go along with the decision," Masae said. "Perhaps my parents were not as strict or demanding as yours, but when they asked something of us, they expected us to comply, and I have similar expectations of my daughters. Their request was not unreasonable in this case, since it was for the good of the family, and Mother, the one who asked us, was also making that choice herself. But it was an adjustment for us, and they regretted making us switch schools, even if we complied more readily than they expected."

* * *

_24 years ago  
_

One weekend when the Black Forest school ship was in port, Mikoto had called her two daughters home for dinner, to discuss their father's move, which she had announced in a routine phone call to her daughters earlier that week. She spent several minutes discussing how their father had gotten the promotion, how important it was for him, and why they needed to go along with it.

If Masae and Masaki had been less polite or less patient, they would have asked "What does this have to do with us?" But soon enough, Mikoto got to the point.

"You will have to switch schools, from Black Forest to Pravda," Mikoto said. "To be honest, it would be easier having both of you at a school whose home port is the same as our new town."

"When would we have to leave, Mother?" Masaki.

"The move date will be after the tournament ends, but before the end of the year," Mikoto said. "Masae will be able to fulfill her obligations to the team as vice-captain, but unfortunately, she'll have to step down after that, and you will be unable to regain your spot on the team. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Please don't, Mother," Masae said. "It may actually be for the best."

"Nee-san?" Masaki said, surprised.

"I've been growing disillusioned with Black Forest's tankery program ever since you were demoted, Masaki," Masae said. "The commander remarked that I was no less replaceable than the others, so for all my responsibility to the team, I likely have no more influence on her than you do. Perhaps thinking of it optimistically makes the situation seem less hopeless, but I came to realize I was just justifying continuing to stay where I was."

"I can't argue with that," Masaki said. "But I was hoping that you hadn't given up entirely, and that there was still a chance for both of us."

"Maybe there is a chance, Masaki," Masae said. "But at this moment, I don't think it's enough to justify staying here when Mother and Father would be better off if we left."

Masaki sighed resignedly.

"You're right, Nee-san," Masaki said.

Mikoto solemnly nodded.

"I'm glad that you're so understanding, Masae, Masaki" Mikoto said, "and I'm sorry it came to this."

"I appreciate hearing that, Mother," Masae said. "But I know how important this is for Father. I suspect he feels the same way."

Mikoto nodded. The move would involve a great deal of effort for the entire family, particularly where her daughters were concerned, but she was glad that everyone was willing to get behind it and work together.

About an hour and a half later, Atago Makoto got home, still wearing the suit he wore to work, and was greeted by his wife and daughters.

"I'm home," Makoto said. "I'm sorry I'm late; I had a meeting to discuss my transfer."

"Welcome home, Makoto-san," Mikoto said. "I was just talking with the girls about the move, and they seemed fairly understanding."

"That's good," Makoto said. "I realize I ask a great deal of you at times, but I am truly grateful that the three of you understand."

Masae smiled. Perhaps this is what it meant to be a good authority figure- to be willing to give orders, but show compassion for one's subordinates and also lead by example.

"Thank you for the kind words, Father," Masae said.

* * *

_Present day_

"Mother didn't say it outright, but I knew that she was making sacrifices of her own in this move," Masae said. "She was saying goodbye to her friends in the town, and to the places she saw on a daily basis. But because it was a sacrifice she was willing to make- and _had_ chosen to make, she was able to reasonably ask us to do so as well."

Shiho nodded.

"That's understandable," Shiho said. "I, too, expect my daughters to make the sacrifices my mother expected me to make."

Masae could not dispute Shiho's description of her expectations for her daughters, but she, as always, found the expectations to be, in and of themselves, too great.

"Of course, it was some time before we actually moved," Masae said. "My parents, as well as Father's employer, had to make some arrangements. I was thus in Black Forest until the end of the tournament, as my mother had pointed out at the time."

"Did you feel any doubt about leaving Black Forest, Instructor Atago?" Miho said. "When I left the school, even though I knew I couldn't do tankery their way, I missed some people there, especially my sister."

"Initially I did, Miho," Masae said, "although my sister was coming with me. However, I believed that if I helped Black Forest win that year, I would fulfill my remaining obligations to the team, and part with them on as good terms as possible."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Masae stood once again, victorious in the high school tankery tournament, as her team exchanged bows with the Pravda team, after the finals ended. The ceremonies felt much more hollow than they did a year ago, and Masae felt as though she was going through the motions.

Masae found herself more doubtful than ever. Was this the victory Shiho had sought? Was it worth all the effort that had been put in, and all the sacrifices that had been made? Could those who were left by the wayside share in this triumph? Masae found it almost impossible to say yes to any of them.

_"Perhaps Commander Nishizumi expects me to see this as worth all the effort, and think of myself as more talented and luckier than all those who were left by the wayside,"_ Masae thought. _"But we've been in Black Forest for the same amount of time, shared most of the same experiences, and yet, have arrived at entirely different conclusions. Maybe it's because of our upbringings, or because we're different people."_

The ceremony ended, and Masae left for the stands. Their parents had been elsewhere, finalizing some details relating to the move, but hoped to hear about their older daughter's performance in the match later.

Masaki walked up and greeted Masae, wearing Black Forest's school uniform, in the area near the stands.

"Congratulations, Nee-san," Masaki said.

"Thank you, Masaki," Masae said. "The victory may be less than fully satisfying, but it still is pleasing to hear this from you. "

"You're welcome," Masaki said, as they began walking toward the changing rooms that were assigned to Black Forest, for the purpose of helping the team change between their school and tankery uniforms. "You did once say that you saw this as doing your duty to the school, fulfilling your obligations so you can leave without regrets. That's the same reason why I'm still on the team, even if I've given up hope of returning to the active roster."

"I suppose so," Masae said. "I believe people should not do the right thing for the sake of being congratulated or thanked, but it's still pleasing to hear that from you."

"That's because I believe it's always nice to acknowledge such efforts," Masaki said. "Particularly when they're made by someone close to you, such as your older sis-"

As they reached Black Forest's changing rooms in its preparation area, Masae and Masaki then overheard loud coughing, and paused slightly, their conversation interrupted. They were about to keep walking, when they heard a voice that was familiar.

"...as I was saying, this does not justify what you did," Shiho said. "If you had been honest with us in the beginning, things never would have come to this."

"Maybe not," one girl, who was a tank commander for Black Forest said, as she took several deep breaths to steady herself. "But in that case, the fault is mine alone. Do what you will with me, but please don't punish Aoi for trying to help me!"

Masae recognized Aoi's name, as she was a commander of a Tiger II and one of the few who not only was friends with Masae, but also agreed with her when it came to Shiho. She suspected that the speaker was Akane, one of Aoi's close friends whom she had mentioned before, but whom Masae had never met.

Masae had noticed two of the tanks falling out of the formation, but had not thought much of it at the time. The entire team advanced forward, but some members were simply unable to keep pace for one reason or another, and were left behind- which Masae viewed as a perfect metaphor for the Nishizumi style itself. Perhaps Black Forest was inflicting enough casualties on Pravda for the loss of one or two tanks to be a non-issue, but the practice did not sit well with Masae.

Of course, Masae realized that Shiho had no tolerance for disobeying orders, or, as Masae gathered from what she heard, for withholding information. Evidently, Aoi knew something about her friend's condition that she did not tell Masae or the commander.

A part of Masae did believe that knowingly concealing pertinent information like that was grounds for punishment, although she was hesitant to consider expulsion her first or only option in such cases. Perhaps, given the circumstances the girls were under and their reasons for withholding the information, it might be enough to have a discussion with them and give them a warning.

"Yes, you will be removed from the team," Shiho said, "and so will she. She not only disobeyed orders, but also knew about your condition and said nothing."

"I understand what you're saying, Commander," Aoi said. "But Akane has worked hard since last year to make the team. She... was worried about how you would react if you found out."

Masae subconsciously nodded her head, sympathizing with Aoi even if she could not approve of her not disclosing Akane's condition. Aoi had once told her about Black Forest's competitive environment leading to backstabbing and one-upsmanship, and that as such, people were loath to admit anything that would make them ineligible for the team, preferring to keep quiet and hope they were not found out..

"She's missing the point, then," Shiho said coldly. "I do not need anyone who cannot contribute to the team reliably, and while meeting our standards. And as such, I no longer need either of you. Both of you are hereby permanently ejected from the tankery team."

Shiho, leaving Aoi and Akane to console each other, walked around the corner and found Masae.

"Vice-captain," she said, not acknowledging Masaki's presence.

"I apologize for eavesdropping, Commander," Masae said, "but I had hoped that I would be consulted on this matter of Aoi and Akane."

"If I had, what would you have said?" Shiho said. "Surely you cannot deny that decisions of that nature cannot have gone unpunished."

"Maybe not," Masae said. "But if you remove people from the team for matters like that, it is difficult to expect people to confide in you. And if you punish people for trying to help their teammates, you will make others hesitate when faced with similar situations in the future."

"As they should," Shiho said. "I only need people who are absolutely committed to the pursuit of victory and entirely able to do whatever is necessary."

Shiho paused and cleared her throat.

"And on that regard..." Shiho continued, "Vice-captain, we did discuss earlier that you were switching schools, were you not?"

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

"As we have just won the tournament, I no longer need your services," Shiho said, "since only the post-season practice remains, which means I can appoint and break in your successor. Thank you for your efforts, and I hope you find a school more suited to your style of tankery."

Shiho's tone was coldly civil, the kind she used with most people below her rank, although Masae did detect a condescending undertone to it, specifically her judging Masae as unworthy of being part of Black Forest. Still, Shiho did acknowledge Masae's efforts thus far, and Masae responded in kind.

"Thank you, ma'am," Masae said, bowing.

Any remaining doubt in Masae was gone at this point; her and Shiho's paths had diverged, and it was now up to her to find her own way of tankery.

* * *

_Present day  
_

"Back then, my disagreement was less with Instructor Nishizumi's decision, and more with the attitude associated with it," Shiho said. "She was unusually quick to reach the decision to expel Aoi and Akane from the team- mere minutes after the match ended- did so without consulting me, and made that choice because it supposedly jeopardized our drive for victory. I might have reached her decision if I were in the same position, but not in the same way or for the same reasons."

"Depending on how much contrition they showed, I'd probably have given Aoi a warning and suspended Akane from the team until I was sure she could be counted on," Hiroe said. "I'd probably still have felt like the bad guy, though."

Masae nodded, but then returned to her subject.

"And yet, Instructor Nishizumi' parting remark was correct, and in the end, I was happier finding a school that was more suited to my style of tankery," Masae said. "A part of me had hoped to make Black Forest a more inviting place, since many of its students were far less ruthless than the Nishizumis or their students, but my time at that school coming to an end precluded that, if it was not impossible to begin with."

Miho and Maho stared in shock.

"I...I never heard about this incident," Miho said.

"Neither did I," Maho said, "although I do understand that Mother would have done such a thing."

"That's because my sister and I, along with the girls who were scolded, largely remained quiet about it," Masae said. "I never had any intention of sullying Instructor Nishizumi's reputation, particularly when she, to some degree, had a point. People would only think of me as using smear tactics and being motivated by petty spite. I suspect the same went for the other girls, as well."

Miho nodded, remembering how, when she had left Black Forest two decades after Masae had, she had asked Maho to describe her departure as an individual decision that was for personal reasons. She believed it was largely true, and wanted as few people to be affected by her departure as possible. And it seemed Masae felt the same way.

"But above all else, I simply wanted to leave," Masae said. "I did not want to stir up controversy or spitefully make a parting shot, but to quietly bow out and move on to whatever came next. I did not agree with many of you, but I hoped to leave my former teammates to their own devices, while finding a team where my sister and I could feel at home."

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.

You may notice that Shiho does come off as a bit crueler and more arrogant from Masae's perspective. Keep in mind that unlike in the Interludes, these sections are largely from the point of view of the character whose section they are, and this is largely about Masae's perception of Shiho, at a time when she started to diverge from Black Forest's way of tankery.

I'm also launching a side project including some side stories set in the fic's universe, titled "Necessary to Win: Side Stories".


	12. Shiho 6: Interchangeable Parts

**Shiho 6: Interchangeable Parts  
**

Shiho realized that she would have to talk about the motives behind her actions again. As much as she hated having to explain herself or justify her decisions, she hoped that doing so would give Masae some insight on her actions and motivations, even if it would not convince her to accept them. However, she decided to set some ground rules.

"I can tell that you've long wanted to find an answer to the questions you've had about those issues, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "But if you came here for an apology, you will be sorely disappointed, because I do not regret that decision any more than I regret the others I made for the sake of success over the course of my life, including the threat to disown Miho."

"No, I did not, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "I realized that in order to reach the mindset necessary to apologize for any of your decisions as a commander, as a teacher and as a mother, you would essentially have to recant the Nishizumi doctrine. Upholding it is the end that, to you, justifies virtually any means."

"Quite right," Shiho said. "But when you think about it, the Nishizumi doctrine is largely based on relatively simple principles, such as obeying your superiors and doing your all to gain victory. I'm sure the rest of you understand those principles, even if you do not practice them as fervently."

"I do," Masae said. "Of course, good principles can become bad ones when taken to extremes, like when dedication gives way to obsession."

"One simple and undeniable concept is that all tanks on the battlefield have their roles," Shiho said. "Somewhat similar to the ancient phalanx formation, a successful operation can only go forward if everyone works together. That's why discipline, teamwork and competence are stressed so highly."

"And what about those who are facing things more pressing than victory?" Miho said. "Does the victory for the entire team outweigh the safety of a single individual or small group?"

"As I said before, Miho, tanks that are imperiled should be left to the rescue squads, who exist for that purpose," Shiho said. "They are in relatively good hands with those people, and the crews would not appreciate you sacrificing victory for the team to save them."

"There are those who feel that way, Mother," Maho said. "But Koume and the others from the fallen tank blamed _themselves_, rather than Miho."

"I see," Shiho said. "It's ultimately a matter of principle for the Nishizumis. Those who are committed to those principles are also more committed to tankery itself, and tend to become better tankers in the process. You get out of tankery what you put into it."

The Atagos' expressions, similar to the one Masae had when Shiho explained her decision to her, told Shiho everything she needed to know. There never was any hope of Shiho convincing them to accept her way of thinking, nor did Shiho ever harbor any such hope.

"But at the same time, there's no point in beating a dead horse, nor any benefit to keeping around those who have no desire to be there," Shiho said. "So when Instructor Atago and her sister appeared before me to officially leave the tankery team, I had no desire to even attempt to stop them."

* * *

_24 years ago_

The day after the tournament ended, Masae slid her resignation letter across Shiho's desk, making her departure official, even if it was only a formality at this point. Paper-clipped to it was her sister's form for leaving the tankery team.

Shiho noticed Masae and Masaki were silent, as Shiho's subordinates were not to speak unless spoken to. And as she read Masae's resignation letter, which briefly, but politely detailed her disillusionment with the team and family circumstances, she realized Masae wanted to let the letter speak for itself.

Shiho had seen many people come and go from the team over the course of her two years at Black Forest, as well as her three years at middle school, and had to adjust the team accordingly, filling vacancies and changing assignments. There was some amount of turnover, but the team was not affected by it much at all.

As such, with the sisters leaving for a legitimate and unavoidable reason, and having followed procedure, Shiho had little to say to them.

"Thank you for notifying me and your service," Shiho said. "You are dismissed."

Masae and Masaki glanced at Shiho with expectant expressions, then at each other. They then turned back to Shiho, saluted and said "Yes, ma'am," before leaving. Shiho did not see either sister again for nearly a year, but felt little about it. Individuals came and went, but the team remained, as did Shiho's responsibilities to it.

Shiho then beckoned the next person in, a loader who was having trouble in school and could not stay on the team unless her grades improved- all that mattered to Shiho was that she was one more person to replace, should she feel the need to do so.

One she was done, Shiho then looked over the sheet of tankers. Black Forest had high expectations of its benched players, wanting to ensure that they would be ready to replace any player on the main team, much like the crates of replacement parts in the warehouse could be used to help repair the tanks. Shiho was reminded of a history paper she had written on the significance of interchangeable parts, mentioning how uniformity had made manufacturing and repairing machinery a far more efficient process.

Shiho found this empowering. Those on the team could not think of their spots as secure, and those off the team could do something more productive than oping about not being chosen, possibly even earning a spot on the team. She couldn't help but pity the schools without players to spare, whose players won spots on the team without struggle and remained mediocre. She hoped the Atago sisters learned something from their time at Black Forest, and were driven to better themselves and succeed for their new school's sake.

* * *

_Present day_

"I'm not at all surprised that there was turnover at Black Forest," Masae said, "or that you were so easily able to replace us."

Shiho simply nodded dispassionately.

"The fact is that, at Black Forest, _no one_ is irreplaceable, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "Your sister was easily replaced by a superior tanker. I soon found a vice-captain who would replace you. Even I commanded knowing- and hoping- that someone would step up and do just as well as I did. I had that principle in mind when removing the tanker with health problems, as well as the one who had not only disobeyed orders, but known and concealed them."

"I can't deny that Akane should have told you," Masae said. "But could she have confided in you?" Masae held up a finger to prevent Shiho from responding. "Before you answer, this is _not_ a question of what _you_ would have said, but what you think _she_ would have expected you to do. I believe that if she expected to be punished for deceiving you, or that what she was hiding would have kept her off the team, she would not have come forward."

After pausing a moment to think through her answer, Shiho sighed, unable and unwilling to contest Masae's point.

"I think she knew all along what I would have done," Shiho said. "Perhaps I would not have been as harsh with her as I would have been for also concealing it, but the fact is that I would not have let her onto my team if I had known, and this was mainly rectifying that error."

"Fair enough," Masae said. "So how did you go about replacing me?"

"I announced that the position was open, and collected applications," Shiho said. "I called in a few of those applicants for individual meetings and I chose the best of the lot as your replacement. The decision was not an easy one- not for sentimental reasons, but judging all the applications to find the most qualified and committed candidate, something that is not easy to predict."

* * *

_24 years ago_

Shiho once again found herself looking through applications, which contained as much of a person's skills, aspirations, and personality as could be fit onto the space provided.

Shiho believed Masae, in spite of her disagreements with her, had served the school well, but hoped to do better than her, and find someone who was not only talented, but wholeheartedly committed to success.

Shiho realized that some of the candidates for vice-captain were as promising as Masae had been once, and she was, in analyzing them, effectively trying to predict the future. Shiho prided herself on keeping an appropriate professional distance from those under her command, but wondered if someone who more easily related to others would have an easier time picking the best girl for the job.

Shiho glanced at Keiko's application. She had shown a considerable amount of initiative for someone who got involved in tankery there, but will was not the only thing that made a good Nishizumi-style commander. Shiho compared it to using a pickaxe to break through rock; only strong swings would break the rocks, but if the tool was weak, it would shatter upon striking the rock.

The truth was that not just anyone could aspire to be a Nishizumi style disciple, and Shiho had no intentions of making compromises for those who could not. Shiho's vice-captain needed to be someone with skill and determination comparable to hers.

* * *

_Present Day_

"The unfortunate truth is that if you find yourself unable to carry out your responsibilities, you need only take a look around to find those who would be willing and quite grateful for the opportunity to do so in your stead," Shiho said.

"That's correct," Masae said. "I did realize from the beginning that you would have many capable individuals who could replace me as vice-captain."

"Yes, I was more than capable of doing so, with the sheer volume of applications I received," Shiho said, "enough so that I could look over the applicants, and select the ones best suited to it. Keiko was good by most standards, but she was not the best, so while she was promising enough to warrant an interview, I ultimately had to choose someone else."

Maho could not help but think about Teru's mother's rejection for the position of vice captain, and wondered if this had played into what Teru said was her being pushed to excel in tankery- whether Keiko wanted her daughter to have opportunities she never did, or to live her dreams vicariously through Teru. Of course, Keiko likely would never admit to this, and it was possible she would not even be aware of it herself.

Maho's thoughts were interrupted as Hiroe chimed in.

"Of course, Instructor Nishizumi, you can afford to do that, since Black Forest, is an employer's market, so to speak, even more so than Pravda," Hiroe said. "I imagine Miho would be more hard-pressed to be so discriminatory."

"That's right, Hiroe-san," Miho said. "For the most part, the team members who showed up for our matches comprised the _entirety_ of our team at the time. We even had to make some adjustments to man the Char B1 Bis against St. Gloriana."

"To think you'd go so far to field a second-rate tank like that..." Hiroko said. "But I do admit that we're somewhat lucky to have an abundance of members, even if it's hard to find spots for all of them. When one of our teammates had to go to a relative's funeral on the day of our quarterfinals match in our first year, we told her that she could go without feeling any guilt, and called in one of our benched players, who ended up doing surprisingly well and permanently joined the team the next year."

Kinue nodded.

"And this year, when one of our team... had to leave, for reasons not unlike those Mom and Aunt Masaki had, we could replace her," Kinue said.

"Indeed," Masae said. "As I said before, I was content leaving, knowing that my obligations would be fulfilled by someone else, possibly someone more in agreement with Instructor Nishizumi than I was. And so my thoughts turned to the future, to starting again and finding my own way."

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

This is something of a short chapter, but Shiho's perspective has largely been explored. Most of the rest of Act I will focus on Masae.


	13. Masae 6: Meaningful In Its Own Way

**Masae 6: Meaningful In Its Own Way  
**

"I left Black Forest before the end of the school year," Masae said. "The transfer was in the middle of the year, but we managed to settle into Pravda quite nicely. Almost immediately after arriving, my sister and I decided to join the tankery team"

"Did you ever feel like an outsider there, Instructor Atago?" Miho said. "I imagine it must have been hard to get used to a new school."

"Only at first," Masae said. "I soon found out that there were people who would welcome me, and one person who knew me very well."

* * *

_23 years ago_

Masae and Masaki approached a table set up for prospective tankery recruits in Pravda's cafeteria. The season was over, so they were recruiting for next year.

"Thank you for your interest inthe Pravda tankery team," the commander, who was sitting at the table with a few tankery club members milling about behind her, said. "My name is Zennou Kazumi, and I'm a second year who leads the team. May I ask your names?"

"Certainly," Masae said. "My name is Atago Masae, a second-year, and this is Atago Masaki, my younger sister and a first year. We transferred from Black Forest in the middle of the year."

Some of the girls nearby whispered among themselves. Among the few fragments Masase could discern were statements expressing disbelief that someone would give up a vice-captaincy at Black Forest to come to a school like Pravda.

"That reminds me..." Kazumi said, as if saying out loud what Masae believed the others were whispering about. "Why did you switch schools from Black Forest to Pravda, anyway? Relatively few would willingly transfer out of a school like Black Forest, especially not when they were vice-captain."

"My father got a transfer at work, and my mother decided it would be more expedient for my sister and I to transfer schools," Masaki said.

Kazumi sighed, before turning to Masae. Masae wondered what she would have to say, and suspected that it was not good news.

"Please do not take this the wrong way, Atago-san," Kazumi said, "but Pravda's tankery team is run very differently from Black Forest's. If you wish to do tankery with us, you will need to understand that Black Forest's... more demanding standards do not apply here, nor does its track record."

"I understand," Masae said. "In fact, I've started to wonder whether that's necessarily a bad thing."

"Is that so?" a familiar-sounding person said from behind Masae. "Then it seems like you've found your answer, Masae."

Masae and Masaki turned, and saw Toshi, their old tankery teacher, standing there.

"Sensei..." Kazumi said.

Toshi then turned to the sisters.

"It's been a while, Masae, Masaki," Toshi said. "Would you mind stepping into my office later? I'd like to catch up."

"Certainly, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said.

Toshi then turned back to Kazumi.

"Kazumi, I see you've met Atago Masae and Atago Masaki," Toshi said.

"Yes, ma'am," Kazumi said. "I would introduce them to you, but you know them already?"

"Yes, from a while in the past," Toshi said. "They're both highly dedicated and skilled tankers, so I can assure you that they are good additions to the team. Black Forest has not corrupted them, but it may well have given Masae the answers she has been seeking."

Kazumi nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am," before allowing the Atago sisters to fill out their application forms.

* * *

After school, Masae and Masaki stopped by Toshi's office.

"Thank you for coming," Toshi said. "I hope you weren't offended by what Kazumi said. She, along with most of the team, is talented, but wouldn't have made it at Black Forest."

"I understand how Commander Zennou feels, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said. "I am a relative outsider here, and I realize that I will have to work hard to prove myself and integrate myself into the team. If nothing else, I was well-known around Black Forest"

Toshi nodded, led the Atago sisters into her office, and motioned them to sit in chairs across from her desk.

"I've heard a little about your accomplishments at Black Forest," Toshi said. "You did quite well becoming vice-captain of Black Forest's tankery team, Masae."

"Thank you, Sensei," Masae said reflexively, but sadly. Her triumph felt hollow in some ways, and she knew it would be significantly more difficult for Toshi to think of any cause to congratulate her sister.

"Of course, you seem less than happy about it," Toshi said.

Masae nodded.

"My school has won the high school tankery tournament twice," Masae said. "Commander Nishizumi, usually a strict critic, said I played a significant role both times. But when I think back to it, it doesn't seem fulfilling. Black Forest does take things seriously, much more so than Troika did, but I wonder if they've become obsessed with victory and blinded to everything else."

"I see," Toshi said. "Do you remember what we talked about before you left Troika, Masae?"

For a moment, Masae wondered _"Which time?"_, since she had often spoken with Toshi throughout middle school. But she then concluded that there was only one instance that was relevant to the discussion at hand.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said. "You wanted me to think about what I wanted out of tankery. I suppose back then, I thought the team could be doing better, but winning wasn't what I truly wanted. I think it was people who did this with the same sort of passion that I did."

"That's good to hear," Toshi said. "What about you, Masaki?"

"I realized I couldn't keep up with Black Forest's tankery team," Masaki said. "The worst part was that it was quite hard on my sister, who was looking forward to doing tankery together, but worried I couldn't keep up."

"For one, the decision wasn't entirely fairly done, even if we assume that Commander Nishizumi was right," Masae said. "For another, I missed doing tankery with her."

"As did I, Nee-san," Masaki said. "I'm not all that good at tankery, but I enjoyed doing it with you. I know people's skills vary, but it might be nice if people like me, who aren't cut out for 'serious' tankery, and people like you, who can aim high, can do tankery together."

"I see," Toshi said. "There are those on the Pravda team who take it seriously and represent the team in tournaments, and those who do it for fun."

"And what about you, Kumakura-sensei?" Masae said. "What brings you here?"

"As a result of funding cutbacks, I was laid off from Troika Middle School, at the end of last year, but the athletics director provided me a good reference," Toshi said. "As such, through a happy coincidence, I came here, to Pravda, when they were looking for a tankery coach."

"So you're doing tankery teaching full time now, ma'am?" Masae said.

"Correct," Toshi said, "even though I still answer to 'sensei' or 'Kumakura-sensei.' But while I believe I deserve my students' respect, and need it in order to do my job, I also have not forgotten that there was still a time when I was still learning, as well as the fact that I will likely never meet the standards of those like Black Forest."

"That's good enough for us, sensei," Masaki said with a smile. "So where does the team stand now?"

"The tournament may be over, but there's still some exhibition matches and practice left," Toshi said. "It won't be until next year that you get another shot at the tournament, and you stand less of a chance of winning with us than you did with Black Forest last year. Does that work well with you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Masae and Masaki said without hesitation, and Toshi nodded and smiled approvingly. Many challenges would await them at Pravda, but they were willing to face them. Perhaps those challenges would be fun and educational.

* * *

_Present day_

"I don't consider my year and a half at Black Forest to be a mistake or a waste of time," Masae said. "I got a good education there, and as far as tankery goes, I learned a great deal, if only by spending a lot of time commanding a tank, and serving as vice-captain. So when i saw Kumakura-sensei again, I had made some progress on answering the question she posed to me, but still wasn't all the way there yet."

Miho nodded. Her time doing tankery alongside her sister, and her departure from Black Forest had helped her realize that she could not do tankery the Nishizumi way, but it took some time at Oarai before she fully realized how she could do it.

"How did your impression of your new school change over time, Instructor Atago?" Miho said.

"I came to like it," Masae said. "The students were appropriately serious and devoted to practice. We often did tankery practice together, which meant that I had many chances to prove myself to my teammates and enjoy myself."

* * *

_Present day_

Masae and Masaki exited a practice match, in which Masae commanded half of the team against the outgoing vice-captain, a third-year named Ekaterina, a tall, dark-haired girl. Kazumi had warmed up to Masae after hearing Toshi speak well of her in their first meeting, and decided to give Masae a chance to lead one side in a practice match to gauge her ability to lead.

Masae took Masaki as her driver. Because of her prior experience, the sisters' new crewmates, some of Masae's yearmates, were willing to give her a chance, and were pleased with her performance.

During the match, Masae sprang an ambush on Ekaterina's forces, then drew her into another trap, winning relatively easily.

"Excellent work, Masae," Kazumi said.

Thank you, Comrade Commander," Masae said.

"To be honest, I had worried that you would have incorporated Black Forest's mistakes, including a lack of flexibility, into your tanking style," Kazumi said, "but you made good use of terrain, and quite effectively ambushed Ekaterina's forces."

"Because I went to Black Forest, I was able to see where they fell short," Masae said, "including, among other things, how they left behind other people. I mainly chose tactics based on the situation, and didn't conform too closely to one style."

"That's good to hear," Kazumi said. "Ekaterina seems fairly impressed with you, as well."

Ekaterina walked up to Masae, a smile on her face, and shook her hand. Masae found this odd, believing that at Black Forest, a vice-captain, even an outgoing one, would find it humiliating to lose to a new member of the team.

"You put up a fine fight, Comrade Atago," Ekaterina said. "Perhaps what I'm saying might seem meaningless to those at Black Forest, but these are some of the last opportunities we third-years will have to do tankery with each other before we graduate. Some of our paths will take us to university, while others are heading to other destinations, so even if we see each other again after high school, we will likely never come together to do tankery like this again."

Masae nodded respectfully, her question having been answered before she even had a chance to ask it.

"I agree, Ekaterina-senpai," Masae said. "It's quite fun, and fulfilling, to do practices like this, which is meaningful in its own way. With nothing at stake, we can focus more on having fun. And with our mistakes having fewer actual consequences, we can try new things- if we fail, we learn valuable lessons, while if we succeed, we have new tricks to use in the tournament."

"That's good to hear," Toshi said. "Kazumi and I have been talking about you while we observed the matches. Given your performance, and the fact that you seem to enjoy this, would you be interested in leading the forces in practice on a regular basis?"

Masae's eyes lit up. For the first time in a while, tankery seemed fulfilling to her, both done at an appropriately serious level, but also about more than just winning.

"Yes, ma'am!" she said, enthusiastically, thrilled at the prospect of more entertaining matches, and of being able to lead many of the others.

* * *

_Present day_

"Some see practice as a boring but necessary part of tankery or any other sport," Masae said. "Others see it as nothing more than a means to an end, a way of improving oneself. My sister and I enjoyed doing practice games, and getting closer to our teammates. Some of them weren't on the regular team, so they appreciated the chance to practice, get better and do tankery."

Miho nodded in agreement. She recalled how her teammate Mako's only complaint about practice was when it was done too early in the morning, and recalled how Duck Team was simply happy to do practice, whether in volleyball or tankery.

"Of course, while we enjoyed it, we also took it seriously," Masae said, "using it as an opportunity to gauge our weaknesses and see areas where we could improve."

"Black Forest prepares itself to take down all comers," Shiho said. "While you were away, we were busy preparing ourselves to face your new school. But you understand that much, don't you?"

Masae simply nodded. She understood what kind of resolve Black Forest had from her time there, as did Miho and Maho. Even Hiroe, Kinue and Hiroko knew from Masae and Shiho's accounts.

"So I was just another opponent for you to defeat," she said, matter-of-factly, before turning to Maho. "What about you, Maho? How did you feel about seeing Miho rise up as someone who would ultimately oppose you and your school?"

"I had mixed feelings, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "Miho wouldn't be around my school any longer. Mother expected me to defeat her to prove the superiority of the Nishizumi style." Shiho nodded in response, before Maho continued. "But Miho was also doing tankery her own way, and while she left behind friends, she had more recently found friends who had values similar to hers." Miho smiled and nodded. "Essentially, I was eager to see what Miho had come up with on her own, but was hesitant about the prospect of having to defeat her- and glad that she ended up emerging victorious."

"I suppose that's the difference between your family and mine," Masae said. "But for what it's worth, that does make me more grateful for my family."

Masae's daughters and niece silently concurred.

"In my final year and a half, I continued doing tankery for Pravda," Masae said. "Back then, I hadn't expected to become commander of the team, let alone a teacher, but not unlike how I came to Pravda in the first place, circumstances placed me there, and I came to enjoy and make the most of my new position."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.

Sorry for the delay. I have been leveling to 100 and gearing up a character in Warlords of Draenor in WoW.

Part of this chapter is meant to contrast Masae's development with Miho's. While Miho wonders if she can do tankery at all, Masae's first order of business at Pravda is getting back into the tankery team. While Miho is initially reluctant to take on leadership, Masae embraces it wholeheartedly. Masae is also somewhat stricter than Miho, if not nearly as much so as Shiho. Therefore, it's less likely that Miho would have been as successful as Pravda's commander, and that Masae would have been as successful as Oarai's commander.

**Character Analysis: Toshi Kumakura  
**

Toshi, from what we see in Saki canon, is fairly personable without being non-serious, helping prepare the five Miyamori girls- the three members of the mahjong club, a transfer student from New Zealand and a girl Toshi recruited herself- to the quarterfinals. It's also implied that she also was coach for Harue while Harue was a professional.

In the fic, Toshi, having come into tankery relatively late in life, has a different perspective on it. She realizes that it may not be her students' goal in life, but wants them to enjoy it as best as they can. And since she's still learning a great deal about tankery, she hopes her students will continue to learn. In many ways, she's different from the Nishizumis' obsession with tankery, and thus is a great influence on a young Masae.


	14. Masae 7: Toward Greater Responsibility

**Masae 7: Toward Greater Responsibility  
**

"As my third year at Pravda began, I was no longer an unknown or 'the new girl' on the team," Masae said. "I had done well in exhibition matches, as well as in the team's practice exercises, in which I was sometimes not just commander of my crew, but also of a group of tanks."

"So how exactly did you become commander, Instructor Atago?" Miho said.

"I first became vice-captain at the start of my third year," Masae said "The vice-captain graduated, and Kumakura-sensei encouraged me to apply for the position. I did so, and I was ultimately chosen. But I didn't realize at the time that it was merely the first step toward greater responsibility."

* * *

_23 years ago  
_

Not long after Masae was officially appointed vice-captain and it was announced to the team, Toshi ushered Masae into her office and shut the door. As Toshi often met with the sisters together, Masae knew that the meeting was sensitive when she alone was called into the office.

"Again, Masae, I'd like to congratulate you on your appointment," Toshi said, after sitting down at her desk and telling Masae to take a seat across from her.

"Thank you, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said, as she sat down.

Toshi nodded appreciatively, but continued from where she left off, making it clear that her initial remarks were mere pleasantries.

"You're welcome," Toshi said, "but that's not the reason I called you in here. I'd have invited your sister if this were a mere friendly chat about your promotion."

Masae was starting to read the mood of the situation. At Black Forest, meetings with the coach were purely business, often for those who were in trouble in some way.

"What I'm about to tell you is both of the utmost importance to the team and strictly confidential, so it can't leave this room," Toshi said. "Can I trust you to keep this between us?"

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

"Good," Toshi said. "Forgive me if I'm beating around the bush, but have you noticed Kazumi's attendance rate?"

"Commander Zennou?" Masae said. "Now that I think about it, she's been absent a fair amount; not enough to cause her to run afoul of our attendance policies, but it is noticeable. Is there something I should know about?"

"Kazumi has had some chronic health problems that have increased in frequency lately," Toshi said. "As such, she has been absent from class from time to time, and...some question whether it will get to the point at which she can no longer continue as commander.

"It's that bad?" Masae said, incredulously, immediately understanding why she was called in, and realizing that Toshi was hoping not to disclose anything more than necessary. Toshi sighed and nodded. "Then why would she continue?"

"For Kazumi, it's not an easy decision," Toshi said. "At this point, her doctors say that she is still able to go about her daily routine- and most likely should. She also greatly enjoys being commander, and feels a sense of responsibility toward those under her command, most of whom are confident in her performance as commander. On the other hand, the latter is also why she feels somewhat conflicted about staying on."

"How do the others feel about this?" Masae said. "My sister arrived at the same time I did, and is not judgmental by nature. And most of my friends are not willing to discuss this openly- and possibly will be even less so now that I'm vice-captain and working even more closely with Commander Zennou."

"Kazumi still possesses the approval of most of her subordinates," Toshi said. "A few, who shall remain anonymous, have privately confided in me that it might be better if she stepped down, but there is no outcry demanding her resignation. On the contrary, most would be sad to see her go, and would be hesitant to see a relatively untested newcomer take the reins."

"Like me?" Masae said. Toshi did not nod or shake her head in response, but simply sighed.

"You've done well so far, Masae," Toshi said. "But speaking from personal experience here, it hasn't always been easy to fill someone else's shoes, even if the others are relatively confident in you. And it's not necessarily easy to hand off your responsibilities to someone else."

"So no matter what Commander Zennou does, she will not be fully at ease with her choice?" Masae said.

"That's essentially it," Toshi said. "She meets with me regularly to keep me apprised of new developments. She believes it would be for the best if she remained on the team- and she hopes that it is."

"She _hopes_ so?" Masae said as she pondered the idea of expressing doubt in one's decisions. The way Shiho had presented it at Black Forest, doubt was a sign of weakness, and Masae knew that it was difficult to convince others of something she was not sure of herself, even from a position of authority. And while Kazumi was hesitant to be completely open about this, it was clear that she was less than certain about her decision. Why, then, would Kazumi make that choice?

"You will understand someday, Masae," Toshi said. "You will not always be certain of all your decisions, nor should you be. Doubt can paralyze us at crucial moments, but it's also a reminder that we all make mistakes, as well as often a way to prevent us from doing so."

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

"In any case, Masae, I didn't choose you for being perfect," Toshi said. "I chose you because you're steadfast, reliable and do your utmost to support the team, just like Kazumi does. If she continues to lead, I'm sure you'll do your best to support her. And if she steps down, you're the best choice to take her place."

"I won't let you, her or the team down, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said.

The conversation then turned to Masae's duties as vice-captain, most of which Masae had heard before, but emphasis was placed on the possibility of becoming a substitute commander. Masae then resolved to do the best she could so that she could assist Kazumi to the best of her ability- or replace her, if necessary.

* * *

_Present day_

"It may sound harsh, but I think at Black Forest, Kazumi would have been replaced a while ago," Masae said. "She ran the team well, and helped create a good environment, but she didn't quite fit the Nishizumis' standards in a few regards."

Maho and Miho solemnly nodded.

"You would be correct, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "If she doubts her ability to continue, then she should not do so at all. She has a responsibility for the team, and if she cannot fulfill it, she should pass it on to someone who can. For all concerned, doing so is for the best."

Masae could not help but sigh, never having expected to agree with Shiho. Did Shiho know what exactly had happened? The fact that Masae had replaced Kazumi would seem to be proof of this.

"I agree, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "But understand that Commander Zennou's choice was by no means clear-cut- was it worse to walk away or get to the point at which she could no longer reliably perform her duties? I don't think she liked either possibility, or that she predicted that things would go wrong so soon. I certainly did not, and I believe hindsight is 20/20."

Masae subconsciously adjusted her glasses, the only way her vision would be anywhere close to 20/20. Most of the women of the Atago family, save for Hiroe, had relatively poor eyesight, but they considered themselves fairly fortunate health-wise, at least compared to Kazumi.

"In any case," Masae said, "when I woke up on the morning of the day before our first match in the tournament in my third year, I had no idea that Kazumi would not be showing up that day... or that she would never return."

* * *

_23 years ago_

In the morning, two days before the first round of the tournament, Masae stepped out of the shower in the apartment she shared with her sister. As she put on her school uniform in the bathroom, she heard a knock on the door from Masaki.

"Nee-san, Kumakura-sensei wants to talk with you," Masaki said. "It sounds important."

Masae opened the door, and Masaki handed her their cordless phone.

"Thank you, Masaki," Masae said, taking the phone. "Hello, Atago Masae speaking," Masae said into the phone.

"Masae?" Toshi said, "A problem has arisen concerning Kazumi. She wasn't feeling well today, and had to go in to see the doctor. I'll need you to lead the training session and the pre-match strategy meeting."

"Really, Kumakura-sensei?!" Masae said, incredulously. She remembered the last time she had seen Kazumi, in the previous day's strategy session. Kazumi had seemed oddly tired, causing Masae to ask about it, only for Kazumi to insist that she was fine.

"Unfortunately, yes," Toshi said. "I'll make an announcement. You can also stop by my office before class to pick up Kazumi's planner."

"I'm on my way over," Masae said. "Goodbye, Sensei."

Toshi said goodbye and Masae hung up, before turning to Masaki.

"Masaki, I'll have to head over to school early," Masae said. "The commander is out sick, at least for today, so I'll be filling in for her."

"I'm sorry to hear that and hope she gets better," Masaki said as Masae gathered her school supplies. "Take care, Nee-san."

* * *

After picking up Kazumi's planner and attending class, Masae got to practice early, hoping to finalize her preparations before she began. Being vice-captain involved a considerable amount of work, and it would be exacerbated by also taking on the commander's duties and dealing with the fallout from Kazumi's sudden absence.

A part of her hoped that Kazumi's doctors had let her go back to school. Masae was not averse to responsibility, but she had not wanted to take it on so suddenly, and on the eve of a tournament match.

Unfortunately, Toshi's expression indicated that was not the case.

"Good afternoon, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said. "Have you heard any news about Commander Zennou?"

"Yes, but unfortunately, it's not good news," Toshi said. "The doctor says that Kazumi is being hospitalized for the time being, for _at minimum a few days_. There's no chance of her being able to come to the match with Maginot, and they essentially told me so before I even asked."

A few different questions came to Masae's mind, but she realized that it was futile to blame Kazumi or their circumstances at this point. Instead, she wanted to know what she could do to help the team at this juncture, and chose the question that was most relevant to her.

"So what happens now, Sensei?" Masae said.

"For the moment, you'll need to serve as acting commander," Toshi said. "If we win the match with Maginot and the situation hasn't resolved itself, we'll decide what to do then."

Masae's expression turned grave. The near future seemed to resemble a series of branching paths, most of which did not lead anywhere good for Pravda. Masae knew she would have to make many decisions in this time, but could not predict what she would have to choose between, much less what the right choice would be.

But there was only one thing to do. Her responsibility had increased, but she still had to fulfill it to the best of her ability so that the team could win the first round and continue onward.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

As tankery practice officially began, Toshi called everyone to the assembly area to deliver her announcement.

"May I have your attention, please?" Toshi said. "I'm afraid I have some bad news today. This morning, Zennou Kazumi, our commander, has been hospitalized as a result of long-standing health issues."

Concerned murmurs went up from the audience, until Toshi motioned for silence.

"As such, until she returns, I name our vice-captain, Atago Masae, acting commander of the Pravda tankery team until further notice."

Masae nodded, but could not help but frown. She had run the team on the days when Kazumi was absent, but it had become clear that this was no ordinary absence, both in its length and its timing.

A part of her, however, the part that had driven her to do her best at Black Forest, knew that in spite of the excuses that one might make, the tournament was a question of whether one could do better than one's rivals. Without Kazumi around, that task now fell on her.

* * *

As the strategy meeting for the upcoming match began, Masae walked into the meeting room. The room had a long table, which was approximately long enough to seat ten to twelve people per side on the wide ends, and two people on the narrow ends. Without thinking, Masae sat down in her usual seat to the commander's right on one of the narrow ends.

"Um, Acting Commander..." the commander of a KV-2 said, gesturing to the commander's chair. Masae, blushing slightly in embarrassment, got up and sat down in the commander's chair.

Silence ensued for a moment, as Masae realized that while she, having attended all the strategy meetings since she first arrived, knew where it was headed, and would have to direct the discussion by herself.

"Let's resume from where we left off last time, shall we?" Masae said, before turning to Kodaka Sayaka, commander of a T-34, one of her friends. "Sayaka, I believe you were discussing the possibility of an ambush point in the rocky hills near our starting point, correct?"

"I _was_, Vice Cap- I mean, Acting Commander," Sayaka said. "But upon further consideration, it doesn't seem like a good option. The cover for our tanks is less than we had thought, and if our initial attack fails, we won't be able to escape." Sayaka slid a file across the table to Masae, containing topographical information Sayaka had obtained since the last meeting, while browsing a filing cabinet full of maps in the Pravda tankery archives. "You can look at the information there; I made copies for everyone."

Masae thanked Sayaka in Russian, since she had learned a few phrases since her transfer, but sighed as she looked at what she had been handed. The possibility had seemed to be the most viable when it was brought up in the meeting the day before Kazumi fell ill, so Masae and Kazumi had expressed interest in it. So what would Kazumi do now, in light of this new information?

_"Whatever she feels to be best for the team,"_ Masae thought, in response to her own question.

"Then perhaps we shouldn't use it," Masae said. "I suspect the enemy knows this as well, so it seems less than likely that we could trick them into using it."

"Maginot has a fair amount of heavy tanks, so they probably won't try anything of the sort," Sayaka said. "A direct confrontation would not necessarily end well for us with what we have."

Masae took another look at the file, and wondered what they had to work with now.

But upon further examination, there was a choke point near the hills, that served as a possible ambush point. Masae's confidence was tempered by how she had trusted in the possible lead on the village, but she was confident that the information she had was more reliable.

In any case, the time had come for Masae to make decisions on her own, and she believed Kazumi would have made the same choice with the information she had just received.

The meeting eventually adjourned, and the team leaders began heading home for the day. One, however, stayed behind.

"Acting Commander, do you have a minute?" the girl, who had medium-length light purple hair said. Her name was Yuriko, and years later, she would marry, take on the name Suehara and have a daughter named Kyouko.

"Certainly, Yuriko," Masae said.

"Commander Zennou and I are fairly close, and I respect her abilities a great deal," Yuriko said, "so, I suppose you can imagine that it's hard on all of us, both seeing one of us so ill, and... not having our leader."

Masae nodded, knowing full well Yuriko's ties with Kazumi. Yuriko and Kazumi had been close friends since their first year, and Yuriko had insisted on calling Kazumi "commander," out of respect for her position.

"I understand," Masae said.

"All the same, I hope you don't take it personally," Yuriko said. "I would say that we respect you because the commander chose you for this position, knowing that you might have to step in like this, but that's not all. We've seen what you can do, and we have faith in you."

"I won't let you down," Masae said confidently.

"I believe you, Acting Commander," Yuriko said. "And to be honest, I first got my position as a tank commander when my own commander had to drop out of the tankery team because of personal troubles, so I understand what you're going through."

* * *

_Present day_

"I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Instructor Nishizumi had scenarios like this in mind when instilling her teachings in her students," Masae said. "I faced a relatively steep learning curve, and had no second chances. Regardless of whatever excuses I made, the situation would remain the same and the outcome would not be affected. So that's why I didn't make excuses, but rather, decided to face my challenges."

Shiho nodded.

"The results matter most of all to the Nishizumis," Shiho said. "And on that regard, I must say that you succeeded, albeit in a situation that would be manageable to us."

"Perhaps so, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "But at the time, it seemed like a highly unfavorable set of circumstances for my first battle as team commander- filling in for my commander against an opponent who knew us and how we fought. And yet, they were circumstances that I would ultimately have to overcome for the sake of my team"

* * *

_The match_

The day of Pravda's first match in the tournament that year soon came, and Masae realized that if she made a mis-step, it would also be their last match. Hoping that Kazumi would resume leadership of her team, and that she could continue on in the tournament, Masae vowed to do everything she could to win.

In a forest clearing, Masae stood before the commander of Maginot, a Japanese girl who went by Anne-Marie at school, a moniker chosen in honor of her French grandmother. The two and their subordinates exchanged bows.

After rising, the two commanders sized each other up, wondering how to approach the subject of Kazumi's absence.

"Um..." Anne-Marie began somewhat awkwardly, evidently not sure how to put what she was saying. "I was under the impression that Mademoiselle Zennou was commander of this team."

"She isn't feeling well, so I'm commanding in her stead," Masae said.

"C'est vrai?" Anne-Marie said, taken off guard; Masae suspected that she did not know about Kazumi's health. "Dommage..." she added, mournfully.

Masae knew a small amount of French, but even the commander's tone and expression were enough to get her message across.

"It... came up somewhat suddenly," Masae said.

The opposing commander simply nodded. Masae wondered if she was secretly rejoicing her good fortune, since regardless of however she and Kazumi knew each other, their schools were competing for the championship.

"Mademoiselle Zennou once once told me that while a commander must lead well on the day of the battle, but the truly important work comes from building the team over time," Anne-Marie said. "I'm interested in seeing how you do."

Anne-Marie and Masae shook hands. It was clear to Masae that Anne-Marie saw Kazumi as something more than an acquaintance, if not quite a friend. Perhaps Anne-Marie saw Kazumi as a worthy rival, and Masae hoped not to disappoint her.

* * *

The battlefield was a wooded area with many gorges and ravines. A river went through the center of the arena, spanned by a short and somewhat narrow steel bridge, albeit one wide and strong enough to support even the heaviest tanks.

Masae had recognized the bridge as a possible choke point. By controlling it, she could control the battlefield, if she could get there first and successfully hold it once she was there. Pravda's lighter tanks made the first task easy, but she doubted her team's capability for the second task.

Masae recalled what she had heard of her opponents' lineup. Evidently, their commander had been prepared for Kazumi, fielding a group of relatively heavy tanks, including the super heavy FCM F1. Masae knew from personal experience that Kazumi preferred to stand her ground rather than retreat, but now, doing so would be a poor idea against Maginot.

In a straight up fight, her tanks would be at a disadvantage. If both tanks unleashed a volley of shells at each other, the one with the heavier and stronger tanks would be more likely to inflict casualties on their enemies while surviving their enemies' attacks.

But what if the enemy tanks never fired that first shot? What if Pravda's first shots could be aimed where they were most vulnerable?

Masae then proceeded with an alternative plan that she had thought of in the preparations for the match, sending her tanks to ambush positions on the sides of a narrow ravine midway between the Pravda and Maginot starting positions. The lighter tanks were able to make it to the position more quickly

As Masae saw the FCM F1 at the vanguard of the approaching Maginot forces, she suspected that they were expecting Pravda to come out in force, leading with a tank that was the most heavily armored.

_"Perhaps my first strike won't take out that behemoth," _Masae thought, _"but my shells can do a lot more than simply disable the tanks."_

Masae then gave the order to attack.

Off in the distance, a well-aimed shot by a JS-2 detracked the FCM F1 in the middle of the ravine. Masae faintly saw the smoke at a distance, and heard the radio operator of the tank report success.

The JS-2 immediately retreated; Masae's plan was to disrupt the enemy's advance without incurring excessive casualties. But while the FCM could not move, it could attack. Its front turret turned and fired, striking and disabling the retreating JS-2 in the back and causing it to throw up the white flag.

As Masae heard the casualty report over the radio, she let off a sigh. Perhaps she had underestimated the enemy's ability to counterattack, and .

The Maginot advance, however, ground to a halt, their path blocked by an immobile superheavy tank. As if on cue, the Pravda tanks emerged from the forest and opened fire with carefully aimed shots, striking a few of the Maginot tanks in the side, causing them to throw up a white flag. Masae's one casualty had bought her four enemies disabled and one unable to move, with many more soon to follow.

The cohesion present in the Maginot unit fell apart, as the tanks desperately tried to get into position to make a counterattack, more like a mob than a group of disciplined soldiers that moved as a unit. They hastily fired into the woods, and their shots more often struck the nearby trees than the tanks they were aiming at, and which were calmly reloading and preparing for their next shot. Masae wondered if one of her shots had struck Anne-Marie's tank, since she was not in the flag tank at the moment. The same went for Kazumi's former crew, which was commanded by the former radio operator, with a benched player filling in for the radio operator's position.

Masae saw the Maginot flag tank, a Char B1 Bis, breaking off from the others. It had formerly been ensconced in Maginot's defensive formation, safe from enemy fire but still where they could keep an eye on it. Masae recalled that Kazumi had once told her that she saw the flag tank as her primary target, and thus did not want to lose sight of that priority. Perhaps Anne-Marie had chosen to play somewhat defensively with her flag tank to counter that strategy.

Now, as the team retreated, it was exposed as it moved across the less densely wooded path. Its allies hastily moved to cover it as it fled toward the thickly wooded area off to the side of the ravine.

Masae knew that area well, as it was an ambush point she had considered, but upon reviewing Sayaka's information, including a more detailed map of the area, she had realized that it was essentially a one-way route that essentially led to a dead end when the vegetation became too thick to advance. Masae recognized that for what it was; buying time.

_"Either the enemy has a plan, or they're hoping to get enough time to think of one," _Masae thought. _"Let's bring this to an end before either can come into play."_

A shot that disabled a SOMUA S35 next to the flag tank forced it to change its course, as it knew its current plan was untenable. At this point, the few Maginot survivors seemed to be merely reacting to Pravda's moves, too busy retreating from the Pravda shells to effectively retaliate.

The fight had not gone out of the enemy's forces just yet, as an enemy Char D2, with a lucky hit, had succeeded in taking out a T-34/76 that was pursuing the flag tank, before being struck with a few shells and being disabled, having made itself vulnerable as it stopped to aim.

Masae frowned slightly at the casualty report, but recognized that things could and often did go wrong with good plans. Perhaps she'd never have the ideal strategy for all possible situations, or a foolproof means of defeating her enemy. She could only adapt to challenges as she faced them, while realizing that she would not always succeed.

A few more shots rang out and, save for the FCM F1, which, too late, was slowly backing out of the ravine in an attempt to rejoin its companions, only the flag tank remained, and it was rushing back the way it had came.

In accordance with Masae's plan, a KV-2, watching near the bridge that Maginot had crossed on the way over, now a route of escape that Masae's forces controlled, took aim at the flag tank and fired. Masae's own tank fired on the enemy flag tank as well.

The Char B1 Bis was struck from the front and the side at the same time, two explosions happening almost in unison. The front gun barrel was almost sheared off, while the turret was damaged and immobilized.

Both bits of damage, while severe, were also beside the point, because the white flag had also raised.

"Pravda wins the match!" the announcer said.

"You did it, Comrade Commander!" Masae's radio operator, a girl named Sakura said, briefly forgetting that Masae's title was temporary.

"I knew you could do it, Nee-san," Masaki said.

Masae smiled, enjoying this official victory more than the ones before it. The others had been counting on her, and with her help she had lived up to their faith in her.

"Thank you, everyone," Masae said.

* * *

The two sides came together for the post-game ceremonies in the same forest clearing where the match had started, untouched by the battle. They exchanged bows once again.

"It looks like we lost," Anne-Marie said. "Mademoiselle Zennou chose her vice-captain well."

"I appreciate hearing this," Masae said. "And I'm sure Commander Zennou would be happy to hear that her choice worked out well this time."

"I feel as though I owe you an apology, Mademoiselle Atago," Anne-Marie said. "I kept thinking in terms of what Mademoiselle Zennou would do, and how you might compare to her, without thinking of you as your own individual, when many others were also comparing you to her."

"There is nothing to apologize for," Masae said. "I, too, am trying to fill her shoes, in a sense, to effectively replace her and ensure the team remains in good hands."

Anne-Marie paused for a moment, considering Masae's remarks.

"Well, to use that analogy," Anne-Marie said, "you can only wear shoes that fit your feet, in a sense, and work well with your purposes. You should lead your way, Mademoiselle Atago; if you do so, I believe you'll find solutions so that everything else works out."

Anne-Marie then extended her hand.

"Merci beaucoup, mademoiselle," Masae said with a smile, as she shook Anne-Marie's hand.

Pravda's celebration for the victory in the first round was a relatively small affair compared to the victory in the finals, typically not going beyond the post-game bows and handshakes, and congratulating everyone who had helped in the victory, but Masae felt it was enough. She had fulfilled her responsibility to the team, led her new friends to victory, and could give good news to Kazumi.

* * *

_Present day  
_

"Maginot fell relatively easily," Masae said. "I'm not sure if I overestimated them, or the difficulty of the task before me."

"Pravda seems fairly strong, even back then," Miho said. "It sounds as though you had a lot of good people, Instructor Atago."

Miho's tone was slightly wistful. She had made quite a few friends at Oarai, and was glad for their commitment to the team. But the one thing she missed from Black Forest that she couldn't have at Oarai was having her sister at the same school as her.

"True," Hiroko said. "And I think it's a task you could probably manage with your school as well, Miho, although your solution would likely be different from Aunt Masae's, given the tanks and people you have at your disposal."

"Quite right, Hiroko," Maho said. "I think Miho probably understands better than anyone here the necessity of leading her own way, rather than trying to emulate someone else."

Miho and Masae nodded in agreement, while Kinue's expression turned pensive.

_"You do know Miho-chan quite well, Maho-san,"_ Kinue thought. _"But now that I'm commanding Pravda, I'm starting to make the same realization that she and Mom did. There are many people I respect and look up to, but I can't win merely by emulating them."_

"In any case," Masae continued with her story, "a few weeks passed. Our turn in the quarterfinals came around, and, like last time, I had to oversee practice, facilitate the strategy meetings, and lead the team to victory without our commander."

"You didn't hear anything since then?" Miho said.

Masae shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no," Masae said. "After the first match, Kumakura-sensei told me that I should proceed under the assumption that I would still be commander by the time the quarterfinals came."

Miho realized that commanding had gotten easier for her over time. Over the course of the tournament, she gradually started facing more powerful and more experienced opponents, but she was also used to the idea of commanding, and understood that she could succeed with what she had.

"The second time was easier than the first," Masae said, "since commanding was something I had done before, and my previous worry- filling in for the commander- was gradually being remedied as the team came to accept me. There were even a few people who privately confessed that they hoped I'd stay as commander once Kazumi recovered."

Masae let off a sigh, recalling how bittersweet those comments were. She was glad to do a good job and win her subordinates' approval, but she had sought to stand in for Kazumi, not supplant her, even if that ended up happening.

"But the position became permanent," Masae said. "It was a great honor to be entrusted with leadership of the team, and I learned a great deal doing so, but I couldn't help but feel sad that things came to that."

* * *

_23 years ago._

As practice came to an end one day, Kazumi, on her first day back at school, sat in the observation tower, observing the training exercise along with Toshi. Kazumi was multitasking between watching the practice and doing some of her schoolwork; once she returned, she had a great deal of catching up to do.

Masae walked up the spiral staircase to the tower to report to Kazumi and Toshi.

"Welcome back, Masae," Toshi said. "Practice went well out there."

"Thank you, ma'am," Masae said. "I feel as though I benefited from my past experience, as well as supervising drills before... well, as vice-captain."

"I choose capable people for the vice-captain position," Kazumi said, "especially since the vice captain stands in for the commander when she is unable to perform her duties. You've done quite well for that so far, so I also believe I made the right choice."

"Your responsibility is a considerable one, Comrade Commander," Masae said, "which is why I hope you'll be able to resume command soon."

Kazumi let off a sigh.

"That's not going to happen," Kazumi said sadly.

"What?!" Masae said, incredulous. The possibility of Kazumi stepping down had always been one that Masae, Toshi and everyone else had to consider, even if they hoped it would never come to that. But now it had come to that, and a part of Masae found it difficult to accept.

"I'm only barely back up to the level at which I can attend school," Kazumi said. "And that's because if I miss any more class, I might not graduate. Tankery is out of the question for now between my health and my workload, and even if it wasn't..."

Kazumi looked around wistfully, seeing some of her teammates milling about down below, discussing practice. Masae knew that Pravda's team was large enough that the commander could not personally know all her subordinates, and she struggled to remember some of her teammates' names and faces. Masae had to wonder whether Kazumi had forgotten some of her faces during her time away, and whether some of the newer members had also forgotten Kazumi.

"The team has moved on without me," Kazumi said, her resigned tone indicating it was difficult for her to say that out loud, even if she knew it to be true. "They've accepted you as their commander, and I'm glad for that, but it also means that I no longer have a place in it. Perhaps, if I'd known all along that it would end like this, I should have stepped down sooner. I suppose I clung to hope that I'd be able to continue."

"Comrade Commander..." Masae said sadly. Kazumi had always been torn over what would be best for the team, and had served the team well. Masae had hoped that Kazumi would be able to continue as commander, and do so without any doubt as to whether she was doing the right thing.

"Kazumi, please," Kazumi said. "I spoke with some of my friends, and when they mentioned the commander, they were not talking about me, but about _you_. They've found a good leader now, so the team is in good hands."

"Very well, Kazumi," Masae said. "What will you do now?"

"I'm going to call the team together tomorrow at practice," Kazumi said, "and officially announce my decision to resign and promote you to permanent commander. That should be a formality at this point, since I told Kumakura-sensei that I'm stepping down, but I'd like some time to prepare a statement for the team. I think we all considered this might happen, but now that it has happened, I'd like the transition to be as smooth as possible."

"Well said, Kazumi," Toshi said. "Masae was made aware of this possibility after being appointed vice-captain. She seemed troubled by the possibility, but was prepared to do whatever was in the best interests of the team, including leading it, if necessary. Am I correct, Masae?"

Masae nodded solemnly, realizing the truth of it, but finding it hard to accept.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

"You won't see me much around the tankery grounds," Kazumi said. "But I hope to see more of you, Masae, and I'll be watching how you do from here on out."

"Thank you, Kazumi," Masae said. "This team is as much yours as it is mine, and I hope to succeed for both our sakes."

* * *

Masae rejoined Masaki on the walk home.

"Thank you for waiting, Masaki," Masae said. "Let's head home."

Masaki nodded. By now, Masaki was used to her sister being late coming home as a result of her new responsibilities, but Masaki noticed that Masae seemed unusually somber.

"Is something on your mind, Nee-san?" Masaki said.

"Kazumi isn't coming back as commander" Masae said. "My position just became permanent."

Masaki's expression indicated confusion, being torn between being happy for her sister and sad for Kazumi.

"Congratulations on your promotion," Masaki said. "But how's the comm- Zennou-senpai taking it?"

"As well as one might expect," Masae said. "She knows it's the right thing, even if it involves sacrifice on her part. But it's also a decision she wished she never had to make."

"And what about you, Nee-san?" Masaki said. "You didn't originally intend to take her position, so how do you feel now that it's yours?"

"I've been thinking, Masaki," Masae said. "Some would consider Kazumi's tenure as commander a failure, or think that she never should have been commander in the first place."

"But you don't believe that, do you?" Masaki said. Masae shook her head.

"No, quite the opposite," Masae said. "The leader of Maginot, who faced Kazumi once, told me that winning tankery teams are built over time. For the sake of all the effort Kazumi put into this team, I hope to win the tournament."

As she said this, Masae realized that she had also helped build Black Forest through her efforts there. But she felt as though while doing tankery at Pravda, she was being truer to herself than she was at Black Forest. Even if people like Kazumi were unable to continue, people like Masaki were able to participate at Pravda.

The road ahead of Masae in the tournament was long, but she had all the reason she needed to lead her school to victory.

* * *

_Present day_

"So what happened to Zennou-san?" Maho said.

"Kazumi hasn't done tankery since ceding command of the team to me," Masae said. "She married a few years after graduating from university and works as a freelance writer for tankery magazines. I don't think it's a path that's entirely traditional for tankers or women in general, but it's one that she's happy with."

Miho wondered what sort of careers her friends would take. Hana, despite being disillusioned with flowers for some time, had revitalized her interest in it through tankery, and would likely inherit her family's school. But how would Yukari translate her love of tankery into an actual job? Would Saori end up as a housewife or make a career out of her skill with communication? And what job would be best suited to Mako's brilliance and sleeping schedule? Miho did not know, but hoped tankery would help them find the answers.

"Over the years as a commander and a teacher, I've noticed people falling behind or not quite rising as far as they could for various reasons, and it's not always due to laziness," Masae said. "Sometimes they struggle against their own deficiencies. Sometimes various events in their life hinder them. In any case, those who endure such difficulties earn my sympathy, and those who overcome them earn my respect."

Miho nodded, as the idea resonated with her.

"There's Zennou Kazumi, the commander who always thought of her teammates, and might have continued to serve us well had she been able to do so," Masae said. "There's Takahashi Aiko, who, after some initial difficulties at my school, led Pravda to victory over Black Forest a little over a decade ago and is now an instructor in the JGSDF. There's Onjouji Toki, who, after failing to make the team in her first two years and being hospitalized, became one of the most effective gunners for Pravda in her year. And there are many others like them. who might not have had a chance at Black Forest, but who, through determination, accomplished something meaningful in ts own way."

"The Nishizumi school doesn't necessarily believe that such individuals should never do tankery," Shiho said, "simply that they were unlikely to be part of any first-rate tankery team, one in which all its members pull their weight. For every champion, there are countless runners-up, and many who are content with their status as such."

"I thought you would say that, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "But one of the many reasons I wanted to win against you was to prove such individuals have a chance to win. Pravda may not be an underdog like Oarai is or Saunders once was, but many of its strong performers were underdogs in their own ways at one time. I believed that it was possible for a team to be both 'first-rate' and inclusive, and to win without the Nishizumis' drive for victory."

"And yet, the champions are not simply given their championship, but win it because they fight as hard as they can for it," Shiho said. "The Nishizumis do not believe in sparing any effort or tolerating those who are not fully committed to and capable of achieving victory."

"That's true, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "Of course, my point is that such individuals are not necessarily liabilities, but rather, assets, toward that goal. So what better way is there to prove that than leading a team with people like that to the championship?"

* * *

**Author's Notes  
**

I'd like to thank Kao Vamp and Stalker117 for beta reading this chapter

This is a somewhat long chapter for Paths Toward Victory, but roughly the average length of a chapter from the original Necessary to Win. I suppose length is relative to the story.

**Character Analysis: Kazumi Zennou**

Little is canonically known about Kazumi in Saki except for her appearance, the fact that she's coach of the Himematsu team (The Atago sisters' team) and that she's on medical leave some time before the start of the series, replaced by Akasaka Ikuno (who is a bit airheaded and playful while Masae is serious, and unlike Masae, doesn't like being reminded of her status as a _temporary_ replacement).

Kazumi, who has the qualifications to perform her duties as Pravda's commander, but is not always able to perform them, faces a difficult decision- step down and entrust her team to someone else, or continue as long as she can. She chooses the latter, and is eventually no longer able to command; while Masae rises to the occasion, Kazumi cannot help but feel as though she made the wrong choice.

But Kazumi's efforts are not necessarily in vain, and she also has an impact on Masae, in showing determination and desire for the well-being of those under her command, even if it never wins her any tournament or even allows her to stave off being forced to resign.


End file.
